Saw: The Trials of Minato Sahashi
by Phen0m20
Summary: The Sekirei Plan has neared its end. Having been cured of his cancer thanks to MBI's advanced technology, Jigsaw sets his rejuvenated sights on Minaka Hiroto, choosing him as his next subject for all the pain and anguish he has forced on the innocent. But in order to get to him, he'll have to interfere with "The Game Master's" sick little game, with a sick little game of his own.
1. Prologue

******WITH THIS BEING A PROLOGUE AND ALL, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER IS TO SET THE TONE OF THE STORY, AND DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW DARK AND GRAPHIC IT CAN ACTUALLY GET. THE ACTUAL PLOT DOESN'T BECOME ESTABLISHED UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER, SO IF YOU FIND THIS CHAPTER TO BE TOO MUCH TO BEAR, FEEL FREE TO SKIP AHEAD, AS IT WON'T GET THIS GORY AND VIOLENT UNTIL MUCH LATER ON. IF YOU CAN STOMACH THIS, THOUGH, THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE FIC NO PROBLEM.**

* * *

**A/N:**

Greetings and welcome, dear reader, to my third outing as a fanfic author. I have been indulging in quite a few Saw fanfics as of late, and to say that most of them were lacklustre would be a massive understatement. (key word being most)

I know, I know, I'm one to talk. My writing isn't necessarily stellar either, but I have the feeling that I could do the series more justice. Not a great amount of justice mind you, but just enough so it keeps the reader interested...or at least I hope so. Keep in mind though, that I've only been writing for a year, so I still have a lot to learn.

That, and I also figured that having more fics of different genres and fandoms under my belt would help me hone my skills, and present me with a more clear understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.

And before you ask, **NO**, Jigsaw will **NOT** become an Ashikabi at **ANY** point in this fic. That would have been way too predictable to include, and the story's serious tone would have no doubt suffered because of it.

This story will no doubt contain a VERY generous amount of flashbacks, including flashbacks within flashbacks (FLASHBACK-CEPTION!), so in order to differentiate between them and a normal scene, I'm going to insert a straight horizontal line at the top of each scene dealing with the present, and this (**~o~O~o~**) at the beginning of each flashback. If anyone can come up with a better way to do this, shoot me a PM and/or review.

On a final note, I would like to thank **Omega Overlord** for assisting me with formulating the idea for the opening Jigsaw game. Seriously man, you saved me from dealing with a hefty amount of unnecessary writer's block, so for that, you have my infinite gratitude.

Now with all of that out in the open, lets begin the fanfic.

* * *

**Prologue**

It was an average spring day for all but the most recent patient in MBI's medical center.

On the seventeenth floor, room #218, lied Sekirei #11; better known as Hikari. She had been released from the Emergency room no more than twenty minutes ago, and was yet to utter a single word to anybody since arriving at the hospital. She seemed distant...traumatized if you will.

Her head was heavily bandaged up, a white patch with trace amounts of dry blood firmly held in place over her right eye by three strips of medical tape. She was commanding her view through the substantially ample window adjacent to her cot, surveying the landscape of the entire city as well as the birds which flew by...how few there were.

She showed no interest.

No emotion.

Nothing.

There was a light rapping at the door, but the lightning twin gave it no acknowledgment. One heavy-set man entered her quarters, who was then shortly followed by two other slimmer associates. From the looks of them, they appeared to be private investigators. Each were dressed in top-of-the-line designer suits, which consisted of light brown windowpane wool flannel blazers with matching slacks, along with white striped shirts, black ties, and brown loafers. The portly detective made his way towards Hikari's bedside, while his two colleagues sat down in the chairs stationed by the wall at the end of her bed, just below the wall-mounted television set.

The private eye slid a hand down into his back pocket and extracted his wallet, flipping it open and presenting his badge to the distraught Sekirei.

"My name is Saito Fukushima. I am one of MBI's top ranking private investigators."

Not a single word fluttered from Hikari's tightly sewn lips. She sonorously struggled to ignore the presence her visitors, refusing to even make eye contact.

Investigator Fukushima continued, "The hospital contacted us shortly after you were admitted into the ER." He tilts his head, inspecting her eyepatch, "Tell me, Hikari, what happened?"

There was another period of dead silence. One of the associates slipped his fingers into his shirt pocket, pulling out a small notebook and pen, preparing to write down any notes. Saito pulled a chair out from the desk and rolled it over to the bed, easing himself down into it.

His words became more sincere, voice radiating with concern, "Hikari, my colleagues and I are here to help you. We want to apprehend whomever did this, but in order for that to happen, you need to speak with us and tell us what happened."

Hikari hung her head and turned away, speaking in a slight, almost inaudible whisper, "I-I don't..."

"You don't what?"

#11 was starting to become choked up. Whatever happened to her must have been harrowingly unnerving.

"I don't want to live through that again...please...just go away."

He sighed, "Hikari, I'm afraid I cannot do that even if I wanted to. I am under contract, which means that I must stay here with you until I get the information I need to build a case. I understand that whatever you experienced must have left you emotionally scarred, but rest assured that anything and everything you tell us will be kept completely confidential. No one besides the four of us here in this room will know the details. This, I can promise you."

Hikari's eyes drifted down to the bed sheets. She took a deep breath and gradually exhaled, "Alright."

"Start from the beginning."

"My sister Hibiki and I received a phone call from somebody posing as a police informant. He informed us that our Ashikabi, Seo Kaoru, got himself into trouble again, and needed us to bail him out of jail."

Saito leaned forward, his fingers locked together in his lap, while the associate began to jot down the information, "What happened next?"

"About half way to the police station, we were ambushed by two female Sekirei. They were powerful, most likely single numbers. We couldn't make out who they were, since they were wearing masks. Pig masks to be precise. They looked so real, as if they were actually severed from a real pig's body. We fought them off the best we could, but they were too quick. Too skilled. Too cunning. They were able to split us up and deal with us individually. That's all I can remember from the fight before I lost consciousness."

"Is there anything else you can remember?" asked the portly private eye, crossing his legs.

The blood drained from Hikari's facial features as she went on with the tale,

"I woke up, and I couldn't move. All I could see was darkness..."

**~o~O~o~**

A grunt escaped from Hikari's lungs as her drooping head gradually rose from the right of her bosom. #11's eyelids slowly cracked open, but no light was present. Not a single glimmer of hope. The room was cold, and pitch black. What little air there was had been infested with the stench of mold, and the decomposing anatomy of dead rats. The lightning twin's arms and legs floundered and jittered on instinct, but every time she pulled and tugged, each and every time, they would only budge mere inches, the chains locking her in place rattling and screeching from the tension. Only now was she starting to fully regain her senses. Her heart began to pace in a violent tempo, the intensity becoming stronger and stronger as she glanced around the room, up, right, down, left, trying her best to make out where she was, but ultimately failing. Her breathing became deeper and off-pattern, hyperventilating as waves of unrelenting panic flowed through her and manifested, making her blood run cold.

Up!Right!Down!Right!Left!Right!Up!Down!Left!Right!Left!Right!Left!Right!Down!Up!Left!Right!

"Where am I?!" she shouts. "HELP! Is anyone there?!"

Another voice echoed from across the evidently endless black void, "Hikari? Is that you?!"

Hikari identified the voice as her sister's, "Hibiki! Where are you?! How did we get here?!"

"I don't know! I just came too a few minutes ago, but I can't see anything! I can't use my powers either! It's these damn chains!"

_***BZZZT!**_

A loud, booming purr of static sent a ripple of fear through the twins as a still, white image was cast onto the cobblestone wall, taking up more than half the space provided. They spontaneously and involuntarily jerked their heads in the direction the noise originated from as the screen crackled to life. They were soon acquainted by the presence of an eerily disturbing, yet well-crafted puppet, donning a black tuxedo with a red bow tie. The mannequin slowly and ominously cocked it's head towards the camera. It's red, soulless eyes which contrasted with it's pure white skinned complexion sent chills down the spines of the lightning twins. Their full attention focused on the screen, incapable of assembling any words from within as the demonic play-thing finally addressed them in a deep; yet shallow murmur.

"_Hello Hikari...Hibiki... You don't know me...but, I know you. I want to play a game. Throughout the Sekirei Plan, you have both utilized teamwork to achieve your contemptuous goals, preying on the weak, the unwinged, and overwhelming them with greater numbers to improve your odds of survival. Some may look at you as strategists. I on the other hand, see you as cowards. Today, we will see just how well you both work as individuals, rather than as a unit. In order leave this room, you both must defy the teamwork which has lead to your success, and inflict a great deal of harm upon each other, although only one of you must succeed in doing so for the door to unlock. Hibiki's goal shall be to strip Hikari of her sight, while Hikari's task will be to immobilize Hibiki's legs..."_

They both shouted in unison, "WHAT?!"

Flooded with anxiety, the twins hopelessly thrashed and flailed about in their restraints.

"LET US GO YOU SICK FUCK!"

"YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING CRAZY IF YOU'D THINK I WOULD DO THAT TO MY OWN SISTER!"

_"...If you do not comply before the three minute timer reaches zero however..."_

The screen jump-cuts to Seo in an undisclosed location, with what could only be described as a rusted metal device tightly fastened to his head. The only audible noise he could make were groans, and grunts as his rope-bound arms and legs desperately churned about.

_"...your Ashikabi will pay the ultimate price."_

"SEO!"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

_"The device Mr. Kaoru wears is hooked into his upper and lower jaws. When the three minute timer expires, his mouth will be violently pried open. Think of it like a...reverse bear trap." _The screen then cuts to a mannequin's head with the exact same device secured to it,_ "Here, allow me to demonstrate..."_

**tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock...DING!**

The device went off, the model rupturing into tiny miniscule fragments of dust and giblets which coated the surrounding area as well as the camera lens as they dissipated, leaving only the neck in tact, and the twins in absolute utter shock.

"THIS HAS TO BE A FUCKIN' DREAM! YEAH, THAT'S IT! A DREAM! THERE IS NO WAY THIS CAN BE REAL, RIGHT HIKARI?! RIGHT?!"

_"To assist the both of you in accomplishing the tasks you've been given, I have taken the incentive to scatter various tools around the room. Find them quickly though...as once the timer reaches zero, not only will Seo's life come to an abrubt end, but the door which grants your freedom will lock forever, and this room will become your tomb. Do not squander your time searching for an alternative exit though, as I assure you that there is none. Will you sacrifice your means of survival to __go on living, or will the price prove to be too great? Live or die...Make your choice."_

The chains and shackles grafting the sisters to the wall suddenly gave way without warning. They dropped to their hands and knees as the projected image lost focus and crackled to a black screen with a large digital clock, which assumed it's role as their only source of light...and only hope of survival._ "Let the games begin..."_

**3:00...2:59...2:58...**

* * *

**MBI Medical Center**

"After you were released, and the timer began to count down, then what happened?"

Perspiration was now flowing down Hikari's completion. She continued, nearly swallowing her tongue, "My sister and I rushed for the exit and tried to pry it open with our powers. But it was no use. The electricity just kept bouncing off. We then split up and searched the room for anything we could force the door open with."

Saito leaned outward, hands clasped together, "Did you find anything?"

"Hibiki found a crowbar...but she became overrun with fear. Consumed by it. She panicked..."

**~o~O~o~**

**2:37...2:36...2:35...**

The footsteps of Hikari's sister became more omnipresent with each passing second, whilst she surveyed the floor for more instruments that may prove useful. In moments, Hibiki's menacing shadow loomed overhead, encompassing her entire body.

Hikari seemed none the wiser of the danger she was in, "Hibiki, I assume you've found something we can use?"

Instead of a reply, all she heard were deep breaths which soon escalated into salivating snarls.

"Hibiki?"

In an action she would later regret, Hikari peered over her shoulder, only to see her once faithful sibling standing over her with a crowbar perched high above her head, teeth grit, nostrils flaring, eyes dilated and void of any and all sanity. A shriek of lunacy erupted from deep within as she slammed the crowbar down upon her sister's cranium at full force, leaving behind a crimson stain on the floor as it poured profusely from the crack in her skull.

The victim crawled away from her former ally/partner, gripping at the gash on her head as she continued to bleed out, "AGH! What the hell did you do that for?!"

Hibiki barked back, "You heard the man, Hikari! The only way we get out of here alive is if only one of us are left standing!"

She rolled out of the way just as the crowbar was about to make contact with the crown of her skull once more, the impact leaving behind a small web of cracks in the stone floor, "Wait! Can't we work this out?!"

Her sister blindly swung at her again, barely dodging the blow much like she did before. Hibiki hissed, leaping on top of her as she backed away, gripping the crowbar's shaft with both hands and raising it into the air, "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE SEO OR MY LEGS!"

Just as her sister motioned to drive it's sharpened edge deep into her eye, Hikari caught it, ensnaring the weapon tightly in her grasp. Back and forth the crowbar bobbed and weaved as the sisters struggled to achieve victory in the contest of tension. Hikari eventually gained the upper hand, yanking the crowbar to the side and out of tenure, drawing her sister in closer as she lost balance.

"GET OFF ME!"

Hikari forced her palm into her twin's abdomen, sending Hibiki flying across the room and skidding across the floor with a well-charged electrical shockwave, tearing up a good portion of her clothing in the process.

2**:06...2:05...2:04...**

Hibiki recovered quickly, gliding her tongue across her lacerated lip and wiping the blood away with the stroke of her forearm. Hikari on the other hand struggled to her feet, still coping with the after-effects of the hard blow she sustained. She threw the crowbar to the side as her sister discharged a bolt of lightning from her fingertips. Hikari threw her hands up just in time and retaliated with a lightning wave of her own, utilizing all of her strength to draw Hibiki's efforts to the half way point. A sphere of purple lightning then began to take shape at the center, growing into a massive ball in a matter of seconds. The globe distorted and shifted back and forth, each twin vying for dominance over the other with neither letting up, the timer looming in the background as the seconds slowly ticked away. Every time one of them seemed to gain the upper hand, the other would predict their movements and the struggle would return to square one. Even though one of them had a fractured cranium, they were still equally matched. They knew each other too well.

Hikari tried desperately to reason with her sister, "Stop Hibiki! Don't you see that this is exactly what he wants?!"

The sibling retorted, drawing her arms back, then forcing them out farther, and the ball closer to her sister's side of the court with a hearty grunt, "I don't like this anymore than you do Hikari, but you know damn right well that we're both done for if Seo dies!"

Hikari exerted an equal amount of force as her sister, re-positioning the orb dead-center, "You mean to tell me that you trust this maniac's word over your own intuition?! Don't be so fucking naïve! Snap out of it!"

"BAKA!" she shouted. "Do you really think that sick fuck went through all this trouble for nothing?! Hiring single numbers to capture us and our Ashikabi, then setting up this elaborate scheme to have us fight each other?! Don't you think that if he wanted us dead, he would have killed us already?! He's provided us with a way out..." She exerts more strength in another powerful shove, forceful enough to bring Hikari down to one knee, "...and I'll be damned if I'm not going to take it!"

Hikari felt her powers starting to fade. She couldn't keep this up much longer, "Dammit, Hibiki, don't make me hurt you!"

Hibiki became more cocky and overconfident, letting one arm fall to her side while the other dictated and maintained pressure without aid. She taunted her sibling with a brash remark, "Hurt me? HA! You sure talk a fierce game for someone who was smashed over the head just a moment ago! Just try it!"

Visibly unamused by her sister's defiance, Hikari channeled the remainder of her powers into her arms. With a forceful push, and a loud vocal eruption, she managed to overpower her sibling (albeit barely) and launched the sphere in her direction quicker than she could hope to react, draining all but the last remnants of strength from her being, as well as her Tama.

"ENOUGH!"

The influence of the blast sent Hibiki soaring five yards into the wall behind her, the impact great enough to force the wind from her lungs, and leave behind a small crater. Hikari flimsily strides to Hibiki's side, strenuously panting with an exhausted, stoic expression peeled over her visage. As her sister lied there on her hands and knees coughing up trace amounts of blood, she kneeled down to her; gazes meeting.

Gasping for breath, Hibiki began to speak, "You were...always...the more...aggressive one..." In the hand which remained out of her sister's line of sight, she covertly grasped something in the dust with her fingertips, rolling it into her palm. A devilish smirk slowly faded over her lips, eyes mischievously narrowing, "...but I'm smarter!"

With lightning-fast reflexes, the frenzied Sekirei vaults off the ground and swings a right hook at her sibling's face, which she faintly evades...or so it would seem. Hibiki drives the edge of her fist and backhands whatever she had clenched into her sister's right eye. Hikari collapsed to the floor almost in an instant, rolling around and howling in unrelenting pain as death's warm red wine spurt from the corners of the deeply embedded rusty nail, painting her already gory visage even redder than it was.

Hikari backed away from her blood-bonded adversary, strafing her body along the cold, stone floor on her left hand with what little strength she had left. Her legs kicked, tears of blood still flowing from her badly pierced eye, trickling between her fingers, down her arm, and dripping from her elbow down to the floor. A scream of pure agony discharged from her abdomen as Hibiki carelessly yanked the deeply rooted nail out from just below her pupil, a trail of blood following just behind, splashing all over her clothing as well as the floor.

Now standing over her helpless sibling, Hibiki, who was seemingly remorseful as tears were now visibly flowing down her guise and dripping from her chin, reached down and ensnared her twin's throat with her free hand. Hikari's now blood-stained hands grasped her sister's wrist in an instinctive, yet futile attempt to tear it away, the pressure strong enough to feel the heart racing as it slowly squeezed the life out of her.

Through her grit teeth, she barely managed to even whimper, _"...I cnt breet..."_

Her sister reluctantly raised the nail high above her head, "Just one more eye, Hikari! One more eye, and it'll ALL be over!"

Hikari landed a hard kick to Hibiki's mid-section just as she brought the nail down, sending her tumbling back to the ground. As her sister recovered from the landing, Hikari's forearms and fingernails dragged and clawed her now exhausted, beaten, and nearly lifeless carcass to a darkened corner of the cobblestone torture chamber. As she continued onward into the darkness, her hand grasped onto a handle of some sorts. She raised it off the ground, but was still incapable of seeing what she was holding due to a combination of the darkness and her gravely damaged eye, but from the object's weight she assumed it were something along the lines of a baseball bat.

Her sister's hand grasped her shoulder, fingers digging deep, "Damn it, Hikari, you're making this harder than it needs to be!"

As Hibiki forcefully spun around, Hikari swung her "baseball bat" without hesitation in hopes of the blow knocking her unconscious. The look of horror soon crept it's way into the nerves of her terrified visage after realizing what she had done. She stood there in absolute shock, observing her only sister grasp for her throat and bleed out through the deep laceration, gurgling, and unsuccessfully gasping for air as her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Hikari's head slowly drooped down, laying eye(s) on to her weapon of choice for the first time; a blood-stained machete. Her hand loosened it's grip, the weapon fell to the ground with a loud "ping".

Hikari's legs turned to jelly, "Oh my god...I thought it was a baseball bat..." She drew her now jittering and shaking hands to her face, knowing full well that she was incapable of assisting her dying sister. All she could do now was look on as Hibiki fought a losing battle with death. Hibiki's once peaches and cream complexion spilled from her neck, splattering to the floor as her face drained of all semblance of color. Succumbing to her fatal wounds, she collapsed to the ground, still choking on, gaging, and swallowing her own blood. She dragged her body towards Hikari, whose skin color matched her own, grasping at her feet and using her stature to help regain a vertical balance. Gazing into her sister's now tear and blood-saturated eyes, she reaches a single hand out to her face one more time before conclusively collapsing onto the floor, eyes rolling back into her head as final "sigh" departing through her lips, a steady stream of blood pouring from the corner of her mouth.

Hikari just stood there, wide eyed and gawking at her sister's twitching corpse. She tried calling out to her as the body went limp, "...H-Hibiki?" She drops to her knees and lightly taps the body with her hands, "Hibiki?!" She begins to wildly shake her back and forth, eventually rolling the cadaver over onto it's back, and tightly embracing her fallen sister in her arms, cradling her head into her shoulder, "HIBIKI!"

Loudly weeping as she rocked back and forth with her sister, she peered over her shoulder at the clock.

**0:41...0:40...0:39...**

Even though she had just ended her own sister's life, the clock was still ominously counting down the remaining seconds. The situation felt more real than ever now. With her sister dead, and Seo's life in turmoil, she had to make a decision. Time was running out, and there was only one option lingering. One hope for survival...and freedom.

She gently lied her sister down in a pool of her own blood. With the machete now in her blood-lathered grasp, she dropped to her knees, hands trembling, cold sweat dripping from her fingertips, tears slithering down her lurid, pale visage. She didn't want to do it, but if what the demonic mannequin said was indeed factual, Seo will perish, which would in turn end her life as well. Her sister was dead anyway, so it's not like she would feel anything. Didn't make it any less difficult for her though...

She pulled Hibiki's leg away from her body, hesitantly resting the razor sharp blade about four inches above the knee. Her breathing slowly escalated into hyperventilation as she tightened her grip, and stared daggers at the corpse...then at the machete...then the clock.

Then the corpse, then the machete, then the clock, then the corpse, then the machete, then the clock.

The Corpse. The Machete. The Clock. The Corpse. The Machete. The Clock.

Corpse. Machete. Clock. Corpse. Machete. Clock. Corpse. Machete. Clock.

Corpse! Machete! Clock! Corpse! Machete! Clock! Corpse! Machete! Clock!

Corpse!Machete!Clock!Corpse!Machete!Clock!Corpse!Machete!Clock!Corpse!Machete!Clock!

CORPSE!MACHETE!CLOCK!CORPSE!MACHETE!CLOCK!CORPSE!MACHETE!CLOCK!

corpsemacheteclockcorpsemach eteclockcorpsemacheteclockco rpsemacheteclockcorpsemachet eclock!

Then...time comes to a halt.

"..._live or die. Make your choice..."_

An intense, deafening, blood curdling scream ruptures from Hikari's throat as she ascends the machete into the moldy air, and drives it down upon the stiff's leg without mercy, tearing, ripping, and stripping flesh from bone.

HACK! "I'M SORRY!" HACK! "I'M SORRY!" HACK! "I'M SORRY!"

* * *

**MBI Medical Center**

Saito and his associates sat in dead silence, struggling to hold back their emotions as they observed Hikari break down more and more, describing every last detail to them. As hard as her story was to believe, they knew she was telling them the gods honest truth. Nobody could make something like this up, and they knew it. Whoever it was that did this to her, her sister, and her Ashikabi, they needed to face justice soon.

Investigator Fukushima had to keep pressure on her, "Hikari, I know this must be very hard for you, but we need you to finish the story."

Choked up, wheezing, and clearly shaken, Hikari questioned him, "What's the point? Seo is probably already dead."

Saito reassured her, "Your Ashikabi is alive Hikari, I know he is. The fact that you're here talking to us right now proves it."

She tilted her head, glancing out the window, "I suppose your right..." She sighs before continuing, "...but Hibiki is never coming back. She would still be alive if I would have just let her blind me. Why the FUCK did I have to fight back?!"

Saito delivered the cold, honest truth, "Hikari, you know that through the rules of the Sekirei plan that you or her would have either lost to another participant, or been forced to fight her if only the two of you were left standing. There would have been no way to avoid the outcome."

Hikari snapped back, startling her visitors, **"I KNOW!"** Her head slumped, and she picked up where she left off, "Time was almost up, and I was now running on fumes...sheer survival instinct..."

**~o~O~o~**

**0:20...0:19...0:18...**

To the lightning twin's bewilderment (and in some ways, fortune) there was very little blood oozing from the cadaver's amputated limb and stump. It was most likely due to the massive hypervolemia she sustained when her throat was unceremoniously slashed open, but that didn't change the fact that both the timer, and her Ashikabi, were on the verge of expiration.

Kneeling in a gradually expanding puddle of her sibling's, as well as her own blood, Hikari raises the blade once more, aiming at her sister's final lower limb. Her head sways side to side, eyes shut, lips puckered and sucked in, still sickened from the deed she must maintain to pursue, "One more, Hibiki. One more...and it will all...be over..."

Gritting her teeth, she slams the sharpened edge down at full force, the miniscule amount of blood sprayed and gushed, lacing her clothing more and more as bone fragments chipped away with each elapsing strike.

**0:06...0:05...0:04.**

The timer then ceased it's countdown. The chilling, morbid act had at long last come to an end. Hikari whipped the machete against the wall with a scream, which rapidly escalated into an uncontrollable and unsettling cry as it ripped through her stomach and out the throat. The salt of her soul bleed from her eyes, pouring down her face, dripping in the pool of gore below as she held her blood-soaked hands parallel to her visage, staring the tools of destruction. Hating them. Cursing them. Her mental stability breaking down more and more, inhaling her tears, choking on them as she clenched her fists and began shouting obscenities at the ceiling, which echoed and manifested themselves into the walls.

"I"VE PLAYED YOUR FUCKING GAME! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?! LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT IT! NOW LET US GO! HAVEN'T WE SUFFERED ENOUGH?!"

At the far end of the torture chamber, the door's lock made a loud click as it's restraints released, taking her by surprise. Hikari threw an arm up to her face, blocking a blinding white light which seeped in through the cracks of the threshold, burning her victimized eye as it slowly creaked itself open. As her eye(s) adjusted to the light, she dragged her body towards the exit, not having the will nor strength to even stand. An ear-piercing squeak sent ripples through her ear drums, halting her movement. The squeaking became more audible with each passing second as a shadow crept it's way closer into the chamber before the figure finally came to view.

It was the the same doll whom had appeared on screen just minutes ago, now riding a rusted red tricycle. A long moment passes, the silence almost deafening.

The mannequin addresses her "success", _"Congratulations. You have passed your test. Some people willingly throw their lives away without a second thought, insisting on using their precious time making the lives of others more difficult. Never atoning for their past crimes. Never living up to their past mistakes. Never learning from them. But not you. Not anymore." _The doll's hand opens, and a key dangles down from it's index finger, glistening as it twists in the light. _"Now...come claim your prize."_

Hikari was literally frozen with fear. She didn't dare move another inch.

The doll reassures her, _"Don't be afraid. Come. Take it. You've earned it."_

After crawling for what seemed to be an eternity, she finally reaches her destination, yanking the key from the demonic toy's grasp, sliding it into her pocket.

It addresses her one more time, _"The key to your Ashikabi's freedom is now in your hands. Good luck." _before a greenish cloud of gas seeps from it's mouth. Hikari coughed and gagged as she inhaled the fumes encompassing her body. Despite fighting hard to stay conscious, she collapsed to the floor, the demonic clown's shrill, possessed, infantile laugh being the final thing she hears before passing out.

* * *

**MBI Medical Center**

Hikari sat in a ball slowly rocking back and forth, her head buried in her knees, arms embracing the legs.

Saito's eyes peel towards his associates, then back to the visibly shaken and psychologically disturbed Sekirei, "I know that must have been hard for you to live through again, but rest easy knowing that you have played a major role in capturing this disturbed individual."

She sniveled, voiced muffled from her legs close proximity, "You mean "If we catch him.""

Saito got up from his chair and sat at Hikari's bedside, reaching his arm around her, holding her close, "We will. I promise."

"I would rather not be touched now." stated Hikari.

One of the associates spoke up, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you mentioned something about a key to your Ashikabi's freedom?"

"Yes, do you still have it?" questioned the other.

She answered, "I do."

Hikari slid her hand down into her pocket, pulling out the key, and letting it dangle from her fingertips as she presented it to them.

The private eye inspected it, lightly grazing it's smooth, metal texture with his fingers.

His eyes drifted from the key, to Hibiki, to his associates, then back to the key. He deeply inhaled through his nose, holding it for a brief second before finally exhaling. He could sense that Hikari was not going to like what he had to tell her, "I'm sorry, Hikari, but since the key is hard evidence, we need to take it from you."

Taken by surprise, Hikari extracts her head from her lap and gives the investigator a tear-glazed glare, "You can't! What about Seo?!"

Saito lifts a hand in an attempt to calm her, "I know...I know. Relax. Think of it this way; Since the task force and myself are not bound to this hospital, we would have a better chance of finding your Ashikabi, as well as the sick bastard who abducted him."

She shouts, voice quivering, "That's not the point! This man gave me the key because he wants ME to find him! Who's to say that he won't kill him if someone else finds him?!"

"You are smart to think that way, Hikari. But this is not up to me, it's up to the law. If I don't acquire every scrap of evidence I find and present it to the higher ups, I would be convicted of a felony. I'd lose my badge and everything I worked hard for."

Emotions pulsated off the lightning twin's shaken voice, "Then let me help you!"

"I'm sorry. Unless the hospital releases you, there is nothing I can do." He reaches out to grab the key, but is zapped by the lightning crackling in her palm. "Agh!"

She barks at him, "You'll have to deal with more than just a little electrical burn if you try that aga-" Saito grabs her arm, cutting her off as her powers fade to nothingness, _"...my powers...they've vanished!"_

Saito explained his ability in further detail, "I have been trained to subdue a Sekirei's powers by means of Matsurou Ashikabi. If I'm not mistaken, your Ashikabi has this same ability as well." He reluctantly takes the key, "I'm sorry."

Hikari breaks down into tears once more, uncontrollably sobbing as the three heartbroken investigators look on in affliction, knowing full well that they could say nothing to suppress the pain of this little bird's plucked feathers.

* * *

**A/N:** First, to get this outta the way, I tried my best to describe the reverse bear trap in detail. I really did. But something this complex is just way out of my pay grade. Sorry.

Alright, if reading this made you in anyway sick or disturbed, I'll warn you right now, it will get much more graphic as the story goes on. **MUCH. MORE. GRAPHIC.** Not all the time, but there will be moments that have potential to top this scene. So if that bothers you in ANY way shape or form, STOP. READING.

There is not going to be a happy ending for anybody in this story. But then again why would you expect a happy ending? **It's fucking SAW for Christ's sake!**

You want a happy ending? Go read my other Sekirei fic "Tell Me". That story has a much warmer and light-hearted tone. It's also been very well received since I first posted it, so going off of that, I can whole-heartedly recommend it.

I try to cater to all sorts of different audiences out there, so if this story didn't appeal to you, I'm perfectly fine with that.

That being said, I am always open to suggestion, and love chatting it up with my readers. So if any of you can assist me with my writing/storytelling/trap ideas/etc, I'd really appreciate it.

On a final note, if any of you are wondering as to why I wrote "Machete!Clock!Corpse!" multiple times over, it was my interpretation as to how Saw uses it's frantic shaky cam to build tension and show a person mentally breaking down. Lemme know if I succeeded or epically failed in either a PM or review.

With that said, take care.


	2. Forgiveness

**A/N:** From this point onward, this fic will be written by three authors; myself (**Phen0m20**), **pyromania101**, and **The Clown King Of Chaos **(who has since changed his name to** The Plasma King**).

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback. (although there won't be any in this chapter)

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**Forgiveness**

An unconscious Minato Sahashi sat idly in a rusted metal folding chair, his head drooping by his right shoulder, the loosely tied ropes fastening his torso to the back of the seat were his only means of maintaining stature. An IV stationed next to him pumped fluids and nutrients into his arm and throughout his entire body. A tiresome grunt slipped through the dark-haired ronin's chapped lips as his eyes began to crack open ever so slightly, gradually adjusting to the dim lighting.

He took a breath and instantly coughed from the shock of inhaling the stale air. With his senses finally alert, his eyes rapidly glided around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings before drifting upon the ropes looping his waist, and a tape recorder in his lap which read "PLAY ME".

He involuntarily shouted, "Where am I?! Help!"

Minato's mind was now racing; his heart vocally pounding against his internal organs as he immediately realized what was going on. He had been kidnapped. But why? What possible motivation would someone have to take him away from his home and loved ones? It couldn't be money, considering that he barely made enough to support even himself. A grudge wouldn't make much sense either, since Minato has always been kind and protective of others, especially his Sekirei.

"My Sekirei!"

The words echoed throughout the room. His torment exponentially increased as images of the ones he loved also being at the mercy of an unknown freak flooded into his mind. He realized that as of now, the Sekirei Plan was near it's end, and emotions were high for all remaining participants. Considering all that had happened over the past few months, his harem of little birds was now the largest of anyone's. But if that was the case, why not just kill him? Doing so would not only end his life, but all the Sekirei he has winged would perish as well. Why go through all of this trouble to kidnap somebody, then just leave them loosely tied to a chair without anyone supervising them?

Minato's genius-level intuition kicked in, and he looked around the room once more; this time focusing on the upper portions of the walls. His eyes fell upon a security camera.

_'Yes, that makes sense. Why risk letting your victim know your face or voice when they could simply watch your actions from a distance?'_

But there was still the matter of the tape recorder in his lap. Since it clearly read "PLAY ME", whatever was on it must have key information as to why he was forcibly stricken from his home. He needed to free himself first though in order to play it.

As it turned out, it was much easier to do than he anticipated. So much so that with a strong tug, the ropes frayed to the point of snapping, knocking the chair over as his weight gave way. The IV violently ripped out from his arm causing him to shriek as he landed flat on his face, the tape recorder sliding across the floor. Whomever did this must have wanted him to escape.

Shaking the cobwebs off and rubbing his now bleeding arm, the ronin reached over and grabbed the tape recorder. As he rose to his feet, he grabbed his stomach as a sharp pain originating from his mid-section sent ripples of agony throughout his body.

He lifted his shirt as the pain dissipated, coming across a four inch incision held just bellow his belly button, sealed shut by a thin black wire. _'A scar...?'_

He pressed the play button.

"_Hello, Minato. I want to play a game. So far, you have led a highly uneventful, yet respectable life: you failed two college entrance exams, but you remedied this by quickly acquiring a job as a construction worker. You are friendly to everyone around you, and when you were pulled into the Sekirei Plan, you treated all of the Sekirei you winged with respect and compassion. However, you also suffer from a distinct lack of self-worth: you believe yourself to be unworthy of the women who are all but designed to love you unconditionally. If you are indeed unworthy of them, now is your chance to earn them. They are all here, in this building, all in danger, and only you can save them.'_

_'What the hell is he talking about?!' _Minato was shaking as he held the tape recorder. His Sekirei were here too and...in danger?!

_'To your right and left are two doors: one leads to the outside and to freedom, the other to your Sekirei. However, if you choose the second door, you must first attach the collar next to it around your neck, as only then will the door open. This collar is special, Minato: it is loaded with shotgun shells, which will fire into your head if any of your Sekirei attempt to cheat by using their powers to escape their predicaments, so I'd warn them if I were you, otherwise...well, you know what happens."_

_'No way...this can't be happening!' _Minato wanted to scream those words, but they never left the sanctuary of his brain.

_"Of course, you could always choose the other door, and escape to the outside, leaving your Sekirei to die here. You only have five hours to get to them and the key to your collar if you choose to run this gauntlet. Will they live or die, Minato? Make your choice."_

The tape recorder slid from Minato's now cold, sweaty grasp, falling to the floor as he backed away in horror, his eyes bulging, hands shaking; twitching. He felt like throwing up, but the incision on his stomach prevented such action.

He focused his sights on the camera and shouted, "Do what you want to me, but I beg you, please spare them! Let them go, and I'll do whatever you want! Please!"

_**XXXXXX**_

John Kramer sat in his chair, chin resting upon his hand as he nodded in approval at Minato's brave and valiant statement.

Somehow, he felt that the actions of his most recent subject would prove to be be quite interesting. Oh yes, quite interesting indeed.

_**XXXXXX**_

As Minato began to panic, he suddenly realized something. '_What if he's bluffing?'_ His beloved Sekirei were strong (well, except Matsu), so how could they be here...?

He saw a manila folder lying on the floor next to the damaged chair. Quickly picking it up and opening it, his eyes widened at what he saw. '_No, no no...'_

Inside the folder were photos of his Sekirei, their faces each locked in some kind of mechanism. There was no more doubt in Minato's mind that they were here, and that they would die if he didn't help them. He wanted to scream, to cry in despair, anything to let his feelings out, but at the same time, he knew that wouldn't do any good. His Sekirei needed him now.

Minato walked towards the door and approached the shotgun collar, reluctantly lifting it from the handle and into his angst ridden, quivering, and clammy grasp. Six shotgun shells encircled the collar's outer circumference, and it was heavy, likely around twenty pounds, but it was sturdy enough to stay locked in place thanks to the leather straps. It was going to be hard to carry this thing around with him, but if it meant the safety of his Sekirei, he would endure anything.

He looked up at the clock just above the doorway. It stayed static at** 5:00:00**, but would most likely begin its countdown once the collar was secured around his neck.

The ronin took a few deep breaths, exhaling through his nose after each. He accepted his fate, and shifted his gaze towards the camera once more, "Fine." He hoisted the collar up over his head and brought it down onto his shoulders as gently as he could. As he adjusted it, a buzzer on the contraption went off, indicating that there was now no turning back. "I'll play your game."

_**XXXXXX**_

"He didn't bother approaching the other door even once!" Dr. Gordon noted in bewilderment as he leaned in towards the video feeds**.**

"_He is committed, that much is for sure_," John replied in his usual raspy voice. His sight shifted to Gordon."_Whether or not he has a change of heart however, is yet to be seen. This next test will prove what sort of 'heart' this individual has..."_

_**XXXXXX**_

Minato pushed the door open with great caution, the creaking it emitted making him all the more nervous and scared. The ronin looked up at the timer.

_**5:00:00...4:59:59...4:59:58...**_

He slowly leaned forward and looked up and down the hall. It was dimly lit, and nobody else but him was around. The ronin slowly stepped out of the room and into the cold hallway. The only sound that could be heard was his heavy breathing. He shook his head, trying to get control over himself, but the severity of his situation made it impossible. As his entire body continued to shake, he suddenly heard slow heavy footsteps approaching him from the right. He looked over and saw that where the hallways connected and formed a plus sign was a chain link fence blocking only his path. The footsteps grew louder, and he contemplated running and getting out of sight before whoever it was caught him in their line of vision**; **he couldn't be sure if it was someone who would assist him, or make the shells aiming at his head go off**. **He was caught in an inner battle, but that didn't matter when the person appeared out of the hallway perpendicular to the one he was trapped in. Minato instantly wanted to scream when he saw the stranger. He slowly lumbered over to the fence, but his legs came to a halt when Minato became locked into his line of sight. He turned only his head to look at the ronin, and instantly saw that he was afraid, which wasn't a surprise. He was wearing a gruesome pig mask that had long, unkempt, and thick black hair. His entire body was hidden beneath a red and black wrestling robe with a hood connected to it. His hands were covered by black leather gloves, and the right hand was holding a spiked baseball bat.

Minato could only look right back at the disguised person who was staring at him without making a single sound. They stood there in one place like statues, and Minato felt the person before him was either staring into his soul, or thinking of ways to make him suffer pain beyond the widest imagination. For what seemed like precious hours they stood there, quieter than an empty grave. Minato was glad that there was a barrier between the two of them; he was unarmed and the man before him had a very lethal object. He was also much bigger and taller than the he was.

Minato broke the silence by begging. "Where are we? What the Hell is going on?!"

The Pighead looked at the desperate teen. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were saturated with tears. The Pighead knew that the Player would break from desperation right there and not make any progress; he couldn't let that happen, it would ruin his fun. He slowly and wordlessly raised his free arm and pointed.

Minato looked at the anonymous mute with confusion. Why was the thing pointing at him? Was he the one who brought him here? Did he know where all of Minato's Sekirei were?

Minato shook his head violently to erase the thoughts which would no doubt mentally scar him.

He then focused on why the masked man was pointing at him, and then it hit him. He looked right at the only other person around and saw that he was still pointing. He then turned around and looked in the general direction the man's finger had indicated. He saw that at the end of the corridor the hall broke to the right and on the wall was a phrase written in red paint: 'They risk their lives. Will you?'

Under it was an arrow pointing down the adjacent pathway. He felt both relief and motivation. He turned around and saw that the masked man had vanished. He was somewhat relieved because he felt that he needed to say something to him, but what? Why are you doing this? Is this just a bad dream? Thank you?

Fortunately he decided that he needn't concern himself with it. He turned back to the path obviously meant for him and slowly walked down it, fearing that there were more people like the one he just encountered, and if there were and they were down there, no barricade was present to stop them from getting their hands on him. He pressed his entire body against the end of the wall, but arched his head back to avoid banging the collar on it. He slowly and fearfully moved his head over to get a view of the hallway. He sighed with relief after seeing that it was empty. He looked over to the opposite wall and saw a door with several painted arrows pointing at it. He cautiously detached himself from the wall and walked over to the door. Directly above it was the word 'FORGIVENESS', crudely painted in blood red. He raised his hand as it shook with fear and anticipation. He had absolutely no idea what was behind the door, or if something bad would happen if he opened it. He thought about his Sekirei and the rest was easy.

Minato forced the door open and found himself in yet another dark, almost barren room. Inside was a small, outdated television set, and a large septic tank containing some form of liquid. At first glance, it seemed like water, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out that it was bubbling and steaming. It was most likely highly corrosive. There was also the constant rattling of chains, the sound of which seemed to come from all directions.

A familiar, yet hated feminine voice then accompanied the noise. "Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

Minato pondered for a millisecond. 'T_hat voice...Where have I heard it before?_' Then he turned his body in conjunction with his head as he scanned the room. "Where are you? I can't see anything!"

"I'm up here!"

The ronin's head then cocked upward, but he still couldn't make out much of anything. Whoever was there must have been quite high up.

_***BZZZT!**_

The television behind him loudly buzzed to life; the ronin nearly jumped out of his skin. He involuntarily jerked his head towards the monitor, watching the static dissipate as the picture came to focus.

The eerie, pale visage of a well dressed marionette appeared on screen and addressed him,

_"Hello, Minato. Welcome to your first test: a test in forgiveness. Right above you is someone whom you should be quite familiar with..."_

A loud, booming _thum_ echoed throughout the room as a small, very dim, spotlight illuminated the area behind the ronin. He gradually turned around, a throaty gasp escaping his abdomen as he laid eyes on the pink-haired Sekirei ensnared in the web of chains ten feet above.

_"...Sekirei #105, Benitsubasa, a member of the notorious Discipline Squad. Many months ago, this woman had inflicted a great amount of physical and emotional pain on you, as well as your beloved Sekirei. She relished in the tears of sorrow you shed after Musubi had been temporarily terminated, and given the opportunity to end your life, she made every possible attempt. Now it is your turn to decide whether or not she is worthy of the life she lives. You will notice that she is currently helpless, much like you were on the night of the bridge escape; chained to the ceiling, with dozens of needles deeply penetrating into the back of her arms, legs, and body. The switch next to the door will determine her fate. If you press the red button, the needles will inject hydrofluoric acid into her body, and slowly dissolve her from the inside out; if you choose to forgive her, however, pressing the green button will release her restraints, and she will be gently lowered down from the ceiling. Choose quickly, however, as you only have ninety seconds. If you fail to make a choice before then, the decision will be made for you. So I ask you this, Minato: can you learn to forgive this woman for all she's done to you and your loved ones, or will it be..."easier just to get rid of her" as she once put it? Will she live or die, Minato? Make your choice."_

Then...static.

_**0:90...:089...0:88...**_

Minato turned back towards the now vulnerable Benistsubasa, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side, observing her fruitless efforts for freedom as she squirmed in her restraints.

The hot-headed Sekirei called out to him, "What the hell are you waiting for?! Press the green button!"

He loudly retorted, "Why?! We have ninety seconds, let's talk first!"

"What's there to talk about?!" she argued, eyes rapidly shifting between the timer and the ronin's visage. "We're running out of time!"

He corrected her, "You mean YOU'RE running out of time. I, on the other hand have all the time in the world."

"Is this about the bridge escape? Look it was nothing personal, I was just doing my-"

"JOB?!" he shouted in anger, jumping down her throat. "That's bullshit and you know it! You and Haihane made us suffer and enjoyed every second it! And for what?! To prevent a helpless Sekirei and Ashikabi from finding happiness on the outside?!"

"All Sekirei are part of the Sekirei Plan; both strong and weak! And it's our job to maintain order!"

The ronin calmly pointed out the flaws in her logic with a straight face, "Oh really? Then tell me, was it your "job" to kidnap and hold me hostage in a sake warehouse?! Is that your interpretation of "maintaining order"?! IS IT?!"

"That was because we-" she paused. "Because we were-"

"Because you were embarrassed?!" He continued to speculate and egg her on. "Because you couldn't get over the fact that your cowardly, pathetic attempts at playing the numbers game and using every cheap, dirty trick in the book couldn't get the job done against such a weak Ashikabi and Sekirei? Is that it?!"

The Red Sekirei couldn't help but snap back. "Fuck you! #88 mocked the Discipline Squad and everything we stood for!"

"You mean she mocked your pride!"

"We wanted redemption, and kidnapping you was simply a means to an end!"

"Redemption?! Don't make me laugh! The Discipline Squad has no redeeming qualities! You're scared little street thugs who prey on the weak and use numbers to put the odds in your favor!"

"Oh, please! We are just as dangerous individually as we are in unison!"

_**0:62...0:61...0:60...**_

"If that's so, then why couldn't you take on Musubi by yourself? Why did you have to put my life at risk and double-team her with Haihane to distract and keep her off focus?! I'll tell you why; because you knew damn right well that if she faced you one on one with no distractions, the outcome would have been different, and you would have been the one lying there lifeless on the bridge! The only difference being that no one would have cared, and you would have died alone!"

"Screw you and that ditsy brunette weirdo! The only reason I fought her like that was because I can't stand idiots! Especially big-boobed bimbos like her!"

"Oh, I see, so you broke one of the fundamental rules of the Sekirei Plan; putting an Ashikabi in harms way, just so you could vent your frustrations on how much larger your opponent's chest was." He added insult to injury. "And you accuse Musubi of being simple-minded."

"Dammit, this had nothing to do with her big boobs!"

"Then what did it have to do with?"

"It had to-"

He cut her off. "Don't answer that, the question was rhetorical. You wanted revenge, and kidnapping me was your way of coping with your self-perceived failures. Your own little way of finding solace in your one-sided defeat at the hands of Yume. Admit it, you're actions weren't for the benefit of the Discipline Squad or the Sekirei Plan. You weren't out to strike fear in the hearts of anybody. It was just your own selfish desire of gaining personal satisfaction by exerting as minimal effort as possible at the expense of innocent people, and you know it.

Benitsubasa had now run into a brick wall. There was nothing she could say to argue Minato's points, so she remained silent for a good moment, eyes staring at the floor.

"What's the matter? Did I strike a nerve?"

She made eye-contact with the ronin once more for a brief second, then turned away. "Look...I'm sorry, okay."

"Yeah, you're sorry now! I'm sure all the Ashikabi and Sekirei you and your ruthless Discipline Squad struck down in cold blood were sorry as well! But did you show THEM any mercy?!"

"Damn it, it wasn't my choice!" she tried to explain her situation in greater detail in hopes of helping him understand her motivations. "If myself or Haihane didn't follow through with the orders we were given, Karasuba would have made us suffer in more ways than you could imagine!"

Needless to say, it didn't work. "Excuses, excuses! Don't pin the blame of your actions on your psychotic, blood-thirsty leader! You enjoy killing just as much as she does!"

"No I don't!" she retorted. "I only kill to blow off steam! Karasuba kills because it gets her off! She's addicted to it!"

"A killer is a killer no matter how you look at it, #105!" Anger started to manifest more and more within Minato's psyche. What she just said offended him on a very personal level. "How dare you try to justify the act of murder!"

Benitsubasa then brought up a valid point. "If that's the case, then wouldn't YOU be a killer as well if you just leave me up here to die?!"

Further assessing her prediciment, he questioned her lack of action."You're a fist-type Sekirei, just like Musubi is. Why not use your own strength to break the chains? I've seen you punch the ground hard enough to create a twenty-foot deep crater, so why don't you escape on your own?"

Benitsubasa hesitated. "I...I...just...I just can't, okay." The salt of her seemingly black soul began pouring down her face. "Please, I beg you, press the button!"

"How do I know that you won't attack me if I do as you ask? You've done it before; unprovoked even!"

As the seconds continued to tick by, her words became more heartfelt and meaningful; almost sincere. "You have my word! Please! Spare me! I am truly sorry! For everything I've done!"

_**0:31...0:30...0:29...**_

Even though Minato despised this woman, this Sekirei, for all the harm she has done, not just to him, but to countless others, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The dire circumstance she was in reminded him so much of what he went through during the night of the bridge escape. He wouldn't wish that kind of pain upon anybody, not even the ones who committed the act. Even then he was still hesitant about what to do. If he let her live, Benitsubasa might prevent him from rescuing his Sekirei. If he left her to her fate, he would be marked as a killer for the rest of his life. Plus there was also the question of whether or not pressing the green button would detonate his collar. It was a tough call, but in the end, Minato wanted to do what was best for his Sekirei. Nothing else mattered.

He decided to give the suspended little bird a rundown of his situation. "Each of my Sekirei are in this building. All of which are in danger, and I'm the only one who can save them. Musubi is among them, and given your history with her, I'm not sure if letting you go would be good for her health, let alone anyone else's."

"Number eighty-eight is here?!" she stated in shock. "I had no idea! Y-You have my word! I will not cause them any harm! As for the Discipline Squad, it's over! I'm out! I quit!"

"How can I be certain that you're telling the truth, and not just saying that to avoid death?"

"All I can offer is my word! Please, FORGIVE ME!"

_**0:14...0:13...0:12...**_

Minato walked over to the buttons on the wall, his hand hovering between them. "I will not forgive you..."

The broken bird cried out to him."PLEASE! DON'T!"

* * *

_**7 Days Prior to Minato's trials...**_

Saito grimaced in disgust as he surveyed the rotting corpse lying on the table, a clean slice having been made through it waist, thus bifurcating it. The cause of said condition was a large pendulum blade, which the detective and his two partners had removed from its original place on the ceiling in order to examine. Aging blood stains covered the edge of the blade, affirming its guilt in the victim's death.

Said victim, one Junichi Tanigawa, was a real piece of work: black hair and a somewhat thuggish appearance, with his arms and legs bound to the table, and two strange boxes with a button inside each one, and both near his hands, which didn't seem to be completely tied down. As he inspected the corpse, Saito couldn't help but feel a wave of dark satisfaction. Sure the death had been brutal and sadistic in nature, but then again, so had the victim.

From the information he and his partners had gathered from calling MBI, Junichi Tanigawa was a thug who had been fired from one job after another for terrible conduct and assaulting fellow employees and customers alike, then making off with some of the company's products as revenge for his dismissal. When he had by some stroke of luck on his part been roped into the Sekirei Plan by winging Sekirei #84, Yashima, reports stated that he had abused her horribly, both physically and mentally, until she had been (mercifully, in Saito's opinion) terminated by the so-called "Demon Duo", Yukari Sahashi and her Sekirei, #107 Shiina.

Now, the only problem was how he and his colleagues were going to reconstruct Junichi's death. It was obvious that the pendulum blade had ended his wretched life, but how had it built up? A TV in front of the table the body was strapped to suggested that Junichi had been confronted by that weird doll thing he'd heard about from Hikari's story, but what had it said?

"I found a VCR," one of the other detectives—a female officer named Shizuka Miyake, if Saito remembered correctly—said. "And it's on auto-play, or at least it was. There's a video inside."

"Well play it," Saito said. "Maybe we can learn a few things."

Miyake complied, and the TV blared to life. On the screen was what appeared to be the face of a ventriloquist's doll, only this one looked like a ventriloquist's doll from Hell: it had a white face and red swirls on its prominent cheeks, and red, evil-looking eyes with long messy hair, and red paint (or lipstick) on its mouth in the shape of a smile.

"_Hello, Junichi,"_ the puppet said, in a chilling, but distinctly male, voice, with its mouth opening and closing with each word with an audible _click_. _"I want to play a years, you have used your hands to hurt others. You go from one job to another, getting fired for poor conduct, then you assault your former bosses and steal some of their products. You have made a living—dare I call it that?—on using your fists, most recently on your Sekirei, #84 Yashima, until she was mercifully terminated a few months ago. You are a brute and a thug, Junichi, but now, you will get a chance to redeem yourself. The device you are currently strapped to will determine whether or not you are worthy of living. In thirty seconds, the pendulum above you will drop down, far enough to touch your body; in sixty seconds, it will slice you in half. To avoid this fate, you must destroy what has destroyed so much on your behalf: your hands. You must insert your hands and push the buttons to start the devices before you. Your bones will be crushed into dust, and your hands will be permanently crippled. Will you sacrifice them, Junichi? Live or die, make your choice." _The TV then went to static.

"Damn, what a way to go," the third detective, a rookie named Katsuya Yagami, said.

Miyake inspected the corpse more thoroughly. "His hands aren't even damaged," she noted. "He didn't even bother trying to follow the instructions. He probably just called for help until the timer ran out. Stupid fucker."

Saito glanced at the corpse and sighed. He could only imagine what the poor bastard went through during his last moments alive.

"Yagami, Miyake, I want you two to press those buttons. I want to see if that doll was telling the truth."

They responded in unison, "Right away, sir!"

His associates complied to their superior's orders, and sure enough, Junichi's restraints were released.

'_Stupid fucker indeed...'_ Saito continued, "This killer is unlike any other I have yet encountered: he's actually giving his victims a chance for survival."

"Sir!" Yagami called out, inspecting the corpse. "I think you should take a look at this."

"Lets see what you've found." Saito made his way over to Yagami's side, with Miyake following suit.

Yagami gently lifted the bifurcated stiff's head. On the back of it's cranium, a small portion of it's flesh was carved out in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle piece.

"Hmm..." Saito pondered, "It seems like the perpetrator left his mark." He gave detective Katsuya a few strong pats on the back. "Good eye, kid. This will definitely prove useful in our ongoing investigation."

Saito walked away from the crime scene, pulling out his phone and dialing the morgue as he approached the door, "Well," he said, "we may as well get him outta here and have the doctors look at him. They may be able to uncover more...internal evidence."

"What about the body?" Yagami asked, wrinkling his nose at the smell wafting of the corpse.

"What about it? It's not going anywhere." Saito opened the door and walked out of the room to make his phone call.

* * *

_**0:11...0:10...0:09...**_

After a moment of moral reflection, he made his decision. "...but I will not kill you either."

Minato drew his arm back and slammed his fist into the green button at the eight-second mark, ultimately choosing to spare Benitsubasa's life. Whether or not his decision was a wise one however, had yet to be seen.

The Red Sekirei flinched and yelped in pain like a dying dog as the many needles penetrating her rather sensual figure retracted all at once. She was gradually lowered from the ceiling, falling to her knees, clearly shaken and panting heavily as the web of chains loosened and gave way. She had never felt so grateful to anyone in her entire life.

Minato walked over and offered her his hand with a half smile. Benitsubasa looked at her unlikely savior in both bewilderment and gratitude for a good few seconds before finally accepting the ronin's hand. He pulled her up off the ground, and the gaze of the two former enemies met.

"Y-You saved me..." said Benitsubasa in a stunned, quivering tone. "Thank you."

The ronin nodded his head. "Don't mention it."

"Even after all the encounters we've had, I-I don't think I've ever caught your name."

"My name is Minato; Minato Sahashi."

"Thank you, Minato."

The Red Sekirei reaches into her back pocket, pulling out a tape recorder similar to the one Minato came across when he first woke up. "Before you arrived, that puppet thing told me to give whatever I had in my pocket to my "impending visitor". I think he means you."

The ronin took the tape out of her hand and pressed the play button.

_"Hello Mr. Sahashi. If you are listening to this, you have passed your first test. As a reward for the selfless decision you have made, I will allow Benitsubasa to accompany you throughout the remainder of your trials. Her assistance will prove quite useful, as some of the tests will require teamwork in order to be completed. She may also act as a bodyguard, although she may only use her powers to protect you from the dangers which lurk in the building. Using them for anything else...well...she knows what will happen then. Can the both of you coexist and work together towards a common goal; or will the history you have with each other be too much to put aside? The choice...is yours."_

The tape then went silent as its inner workings came to a halt.

"Well, it looks like the two of us are going to get better acquainted," stated the dark-haired ronin. "Any objections, Benitsubasa?"

"You spared my life, so I suppose I owe you something in return."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Minato asked.

"It's a yes," Benitsubasa replied.

Minato then turned towards the now unlocked reinforced steel door, using all his strength to peel it open.

Benitsubasa called out to him once more as he motioned to exit. "Wait!"

The ronin peered over his shoulder. "Yes? What is it?"

"Even after everything I've done to you...your Sekirei...in spite of all of that, you still decided to help me. Why?"

The ronin turned his head back towards the path with a 'hmph' before responding, "Simple: because I'm not like you."

He then continued down the hallway with Benitsubasa following suit. There was going to be a lot of ground to cover, and Minato needed all the help he could get.

_**4:50:34...4:50:33...4:50:32...**_

_**XXXXXX**_

From his observation room, John watched with an approving smile at Minato's decision.

"This kid is one in a million," stated Dr. Gordon, watching the feeds at Jigsaw's side.

_"Mr. Sahashi certainly is a special individual. Unlike most of my subjects, the heart of this one is pure."_

A third feminine, yet emotionless and uncaring voice was heard from across the room, "She's ready."

John and Dr. Gordon slowly turned their heads towards the voice.

John commended the woman,_"Excellent..." _Her long, silver hair glistened in the light as she stepped out from the shadows with a blood-thirsty grin, horizontal burns and deep lacerations formed tiger stripes down her permanently scarred visage, slanted eyes lusting for murder._"...Karasuba."_

* * *

**A/N: Phen0m20:** And with that we come to the close of our first chapter. I would like to thank author's pyromania101 and The Clown King Of Chaos for choosing to humbly accompany me on my latest writing endeavor.

Here are some of the author's comments:

**The Clown King Of Chaos:** "I've always been curious as to what goes on in the heads of Jigsaw's masked colleagues. I decided to portray the premiere one as a somewhat sadistic, but taciturn, stalker."

**Pyromania101** has decided not to add an author's note.

**Phen0m20:** With that all out in the open, the three of us hope to hear honest feedback from you all, so if you feel like chatting it up with us or offering suggestions to the story, contact one of us and we will be more than happy to speak with you.

Hope to see you all in the next chapter!


	3. Hysteria

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback.

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20:** Hello once again, dear reader. I would like to apologize in advance for the long delay in posting this chapter, but due to some personal circumstances that Clown King had to deal with, we unfortunately couldn't avoid it. I'm not one to speak for others, so I'll leave whether or not he wants to go into detail about it up to him. To make up for this, however, the three of us went out of our way to make this chapter an absolute BEAST to thank you all for your patience and undying support.

Here are some comments from the other authors:

**The Clown King Of Chaos:**"I personally apologize to all of you. I blame the delay of this chapter on myself. I literally had to rewrite and rework the test about five times before I was finally satisfied with my work."

**pyromania101**has requested me to leave his author's note at the conclusion of the chapter.

**Phen0m20:** Now that everyone has said their peace, lets begin this BEAST of a chapter; and what better way to begin than with a flashback, something which was notably missing from the previous installment.

* * *

**Hysteria**

**~o~O~o~**

_**14 Days prior to Minato's trials...**_

John Kramer stood next to the doorway, sifting his rough hands through the contents of a manila folder, his eyes drifting thoroughly through the information.

In the middle of the room sat a slumbering Karasuba. The Black Sekirei was bound to a steel-reinforced recliner, with razor sharp blades jutting up through the major arteries of her forearms and thighs, which were in turn held firmly in place by light brown leather straps, pulled tight enough to cut off a good portion of her circulation, thus preventing the little bird from bleeding out. The blood dripping from her restrained limbs trickled down and formed a small puddle at her feet, which oozed through and flowed along the cracks in the concrete floor.

Hearing a grunt of life escaping from his psychotic captive's lungs, John's attention shifted over to his latest subject. Flopping the folder back down onto the desk with the flick of his wrist, he made his way over to the small makeshift workshop in front of her, swiping his glass of orange juice from the countertop along the way.

The raven feather's eyelids gradually split open, pupils dilating to accustom the bright, flickering florescent lighting.

A murmur matching her casually exhausted expression gusted through her dry, tightly sewn lips. "Whe-Where am I?"

Her gaze fell upon the restraints holding her left arm in place. Up and down she jerked her forearm, a bitter snarl blaring through her grit teeth fully alerted her senses as the serrated edge sliced deeper and harder into the flesh with every elapsing movement.

_"So," _John said downing a mouthful of his beverage, licking the residue from his lips, savoring its delicious, tangy flavor. _"I see you're finally awake."_

Lifting her visage from her lacerated...no, mutilated forearm, Karasuba stared daggers at her aging kidnapper, counting the many horrific and violent ways she could end his life. At the same time though, she was enticed by him. Drawn to him. Perhaps it was his voice. It just sounded so cold and calm, detached from any and all emotion...just like her. Somehow, she felt that her time here would prove to be...interesting...to say the least.

She addressed him with an equally chilling, slanted glare. "So, I assume you're the one who did this to me?"

_"No," _he replied in his usual raspy tone._ "You did this to yourself by taking the life of an innocent child."_

Unmoved by his accusations, she snickered. "Heh, you mean #108?" she questioned. "I did her a favor. She wouldn't have lasted much longer in the Sekirei Plan anyway. It was a mercy killing." _Why do I feel the need to respond?_ she thought. _I owe this guy nothing!_

_"The Sekirei Plan is a very dangerous game, yes, and her demise no doubt would have been inevitable..." _He took one more sip of his drink before setting it back down on the table with an audible 'clack', gliding his forearm across his mouth to wipe away the excess. _"But you know just as well as I do that all that is required to terminate one of your brethren would be to place your finger on their crest, and recite the incantation. You, however, did not."_

"Pfft; Oh, please. She didn't suffer. Her death was instantaneous." _Damn it, why is my mouth moving?_

_"You viciously cut down a child in front of her very own Ashikabi and friends, and you did it with a smile on your face. Do you not think they're suffering?"_

"Hmph." The black Sekirei scoffed with a mocking sneer. "I don't have to justify myself to you! Get over yourself!"

John inhaled deeply through his flaring nostrils, holding it in for a good few seconds before releasing it. He grabbed a metal folding chair resting against the wall and unfolded it, taking a seat in front of his disturbed subject. _"You committed the ultimate act of evil, Karasuba: infanticide. Now it is your turn to feel the same pain and fear you have brought to so many others."_

"You think I'm afraid of you?!" She laughed again. "You do realize I could have my freedom back whenever I choose, right?...as a matter of fact..."

Ignoring the pain, Karasuba pulled at her forearms in attempt to break her binds; nearly succeeding.

_"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Karasuba, for if you do succeed in escaping before partaking in my game..."_

**_*BZZZT!_**

An outdated television set blared and crackled to life, ceasing Karasuba's attempts for freedom. On screen, her Ashikabi, a shirtless and profusely sweating Natsuo Ichinomi, was shown inside an elevator shaft. The man was clearly drugged out of his mind. Drool and vomit slobbered all over his shaven chest, eyes unfocused, his dilated gaze far and distant. The squad's Ashikabi's legs had been grafted into the top of the elevator itself. Chains encircling his waist and arms tightly ensnared his body to the walls and ceiling of the shaft. Two razor sharp blades were held perpendicular to his abdomen, which seemed to be there as sort of a fail-safe in case the trap malfunctioned.

_"...the elevator will plummet, and tear your Ashikabi in half, which will in turn end your life as well."_

The Raven Feather's slanted, unfeeling gaze shifted from the monitor and back to John's stoic visage. "I see. So you just want me to sit here idly and bleed out, eh? Is that it?"

_"Not at all, Karasuba." _he reassured her._ "That would make me a murderer...and I despise murderers."_

"Hmph; You have some twisted morals, old man. Release me and I'll kill you nice and quick." _...although slow might also be nice._

John Kramer stared off into space for a moment to presumably contemplate her offer, then looked her in the eye once more. _"I could let you go...but that wouldn't serve you."_ He leaned in towards his captive, fingers laced together in his lap. _"I'll tell you what I will do, though. I'll give you...a tool...to reclaim your life. To discard the vices which have so corrupted your soul."_

Her cackling laughter echoed throughout the room. "I don't have-"

_"A fucking soul?" _he questioned._ "Those were the exact words of my first test subject, a grizzly drug addict by the name of Cecil. A child murderer, Just. Like. You."_

"Heh, so you have experience I see," she pointed out, undaunted. "I figured as much."

Bending his knees, John arose from his seat. _"I'll be back shortly..." _As John made his way towards his workshop, he glanced back at his captive over his shoulder. _"Comfortable?"_

A humored grin distorted Karasuba's chapped lips. "Very."

The Black Sekirei was intrigued by the fact that this "old man", as she called him, was accustomed to inflicting such brutal torture on people. Whether or not they deserved it didn't concern her, all that mattered was that he willingly went through with these actions with no remorse or guilt...and it turned her on. So much so that there wasn't a doubt in her mind that if she remained unwinged up to this point, she would be reacting to him.

John returned from the workshop with a cardboard box slung over his sandpaper-like palms. Whatever the contents were, they must have been quite heavy, considering the amount of dust kicked up and the loud thud it made as he dropped the box down at Karasuba's feet.

The Raven Feather gawked at the box in anticipation, eagerly awaiting her captor to reveal what was inside. John pulled a small pocket knife from his back pocket and ran it's sharpened edge down the air-tight seal, splitting the tape and spreading it open. Reaching inside, he withdrew the "tool". There were fourteen knives, seven on each side, each tightly compacted in perfect rows with their blades pointing inwards to accommodate the victim's face.

It was ironic. The device itself was nearly identical to his first contraption in every way, shape, and form. It's victim was also similar. Not only would she be his first test subject in Shinto Teito, much like Cecil was his first test subject in America; her reasons for being tested were the same as well: taking the life of a child. Granted there was a difference between the subjects, even if it was slight. Whereas Cecil's act of infanticide was not intentional, Karasuba's on the other hand, was.

Her eyes were slanted no longer. "Is that..." Entranced by the instrument of destruction, Karasuba nearly swallowed her tongue. "...the tool?"

_"It is,"_ John replied. _"...I made it especially for you."_

Tears began to glaze over in The Black Sekirei's eyes. "It's...beautiful..."

Unsure what to make of Karasuba's warped praises, he accepted her compliment. _"Thank you. It means the world to an artist knowing that somebody out there appreciates their work." _He made his way behind her, "tool" in hand. _"Now..." _He slammed the apparatus down before her face, the knives inches from her visage._"Let the games begin..."_

Fastening the device to the chair and tightening its screws, John gave The Black Sekirei his briefing, not even bothering to make eye contact with her. _"Your life is a lie, Karasuba...now comes your chance for redemption..."_

"Redemption." Karasuba wanted to laugh at the term, but the way John was going about his business kept her from doing so. She was captivated by the way he delivered his speech, wanting to take in every sentence, every word, every last breath...although her bored, tired expression could conflict one to think otherwise. She'd heard a great many boring rants from Minaka, but unlike that fruitcake, this man's words were...enticing, to say the least.

_"...As a murderer and a psychopath..." _

The animosity in John's heart poured through the pours of his visage, eyebrows narrowing, teeth grit, nostrils flaring as if the fumes of a rotting corpse ripped at his sense of smell as he exerted more strength on the screwdriver. _"...you PREYED on the weak and the helpless, to quench your insatiable bloodlust. Today...we're bringing the ugliness inside you out into the open..." _

He continued, gesturing his index finger to the device. _"Now in order for you to stay alive, you'll need to match your face...with the repulsiveness of your soul..."_

The Raven Feather continued to fall upon his every word, savoring them like a fine wine. A part of her wanted to repeat that she didn't have a soul, but an even bigger part of her was telling her to shut up and listen. Obviously, she listened to the latter.

With the "tool" now firmly locked in place, John pressed a button on the back of the chair. A panel rose from the floor, three inches from where the knives were.

He gave her the ultimatum: _"Just lean forward...into the knives with your face. Press hard enough, and you'll release the arm and leg restraints...that bind you."_

He leaned in and whispered into the little bird's ear. _"These knives are special, Karasuba..."_

He backed away, his legs slowly gesturing his body around his captive, encircling the chair. _"Inside the knives is highly corrosive acidic substance, which will drivel through the edges more and more the deeper you press into them."_

Taken off guard by his degree of depravity, a sadistic laugh ripped through The Black Sekirei's throat. Never in her wildest imagination did she ever think she would come across someone as warped as she was.

Ignoring her sickeningly amused cackling, he completed his detached briefing purely out of etiquette. _"Press hard though...and you'll be free..."_

Regaining control of her emotional outburst, she addressed her captor's words. "You are one sick, twisted fuck, you know that, right?" A perverse grin cracked her facial features as her eyes slanted even thinner, pupils locked to his. "I think I like you..."

John leans into her ear once again and whispered an alternative choice._ "...or you can just sit idly, and bleed out...on the floor." _Pulling his dry visage away from her ear, he walked off, shooting a glance over his shoulder._ "Live or die, Karasuba..." _With the fate of his subject now in her hands, John leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms and legs. _"...make your choice."_

Her glance shifting from John to the knives, she stared at them, enraptured by the florescent lighting glinting off the stainless steel. "Quick question before I begin: What's stopping me from spilling your entrails once I free myself?"

Although she had no intentions of killing the man once set free, Karasuba's question was derived from the curiosity as to whether or not he had a plan to prevent her from doing so. She desired to see how intelligent John was, which from what she had gathered so far, he seemed quite brilliant, considering that he WAS capable of finding a way to not only kidnap her Ashikabi without anyone knowing, but also her, the single most powerful Sekirei in the game (according to her, at least).

_"Once free, you may go about your business as you wish...and if that includes killing me, so be it. But I would implore that you do the opposite, as once my heart rate flatlines, the life of your Ashikabi, as well as your own will end simultaneously..." _His next words more than piqued her interest. _"...and your chances of coming face to face with #08 again will be forever lost."_

Once her rival's number was spoken, Karasuba's eyes widened. "How do you know about Yume?! And what's this about being able to come face to face with her again?!"

_"You want details?" _he asks._ "Play the game...and win."_

There were now no more thoughts of hesitation in The Black Sekirei's mind (not that there were many to begin with).

She leaned in, the knives drawing blood the moment her visage made the slightest of contact. To say that the knives were sharp was an understatement. But The Raven Feather welcomed the challenge, pressing her face deeper and harder into the device, parting the knives little by little, the tightened screws holding them in place screeching and squeaking as the serrated edges dug into her face. Blood oozed and slithered from the layers of lacerated flesh, down her visage, running into her eyes, burning them and setting her pupils ablaze. The ripened fluid of her black heart flowed down her neck, staining her clothing and lubricated the chair as it leaked down into the puddle of blood at The Black Sekirei's feet.

The razor sharp fangs salivated their acidic mucus, searing her facial tissue, making it smoke with an audible sizzle as the carnivorous teeth's insatiable appetite for blood and flesh shredded through her once alluring appearance, carving out the inner ugliness of her soul, sculpting her inner repugnance for the entire world to see. The once stainless steel was stainless no longer. A shriek erupted from her abdomen as the acid cauterized her now drained complexion, blackening it, butchering it as the corrosive liquid welded through her visage, burning away any hopes of restoring it. Layers of gore slicked down the edge of each knife, trickling down into her lap.

She pushed harder, snarling as her struggle stripped her flesh of it's complexion, making it drip to the floor.

She snarled, she pushed, flesh stripped, blood dripped. She snarled, she pushed, flesh stripped, blood dripped.

She snarled! She pushed! Flesh stripped! Blood dripped! She snarled! She pushed! Flesh stripped! Blood dripped!

Snarled!Pushed!Stripped!Dripped!Snarled!Pushed!Stripped!Dripped!Snarled!Pushed!Stripped!Dripped!Snarled!Pushed!Stripped!Dripped!

SNARL!PUSH!STRIP!DRIP!SNARL!PUSH!STRIP!DRIP!SNARL!PUSH!STRIP!DRIP!SNARL!PUSH!STRIP!DRIP!SNARL!PUSH!STRIP!DRIP!SNAKFJKJPUNKFJJSTRIJJKKGJKJD RIGFF!

"AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"

And then...she was free.

The restraints released, retracting into the arms and legs of the chair the moment her mangled visage made contact with the button panel beyond the "tool". She collapsed to the concrete floor on all fours, chest heaving in and out with every grunt and deep breath she took, her greasy crimson mask slobbered with a mixture of sweat, blood, and acidic residue. Her red vital juices dripped from her eyebrows, nose, and chin, into the ever expanding puddle of bodily fluids below, rippling her reflection. Karasuba's transformation...was complete.

John just stood there unnerved, neither smiling nor frowning with his arms crossed, head tilted to the side, observing the rebirth of his latest subject as she took the first breaths of her new life.

She panted her first words of freedom. "Thank...tssss...you...tsssss...aahhhhhhh..."

A smile began to creep onto her captor's face. Perhaps John was capable of changing this woman's views on her life, as well as the lives of others after all.

_"How do you feel, Karasuba?" _He asked in his same, tiresome voice.

"Wetter than I've been in my entire life...tssss...ahhhhh...and I have you to thank for that."

Those words made John scowl in disgust, and his stomach turn. A sigh blew through his lips as his head shook from left to right in disappointment. But deep down, he knew that Karasuba was beyond all forms of redemption, especially after slaughtering one as innocent as the flower child. No amount of anguish or physical pain he could bring to this woman, nay, this...animal, would make her feel any semblance of sorrow or regret; and the fact that she was able to not only enjoy the pain, but actually get off from it cemented this...but Karasuba's game was far from over.

John trotted off into his workshop yet again and yanked down a rough blue towel from one of the metal racks. He approached his captive and kneeled down, extending his arm, offering it to her. She grabbed it with a quick swipe of her hand, pulling herself to her feet as she bared the cloth down upon her visage, harshly smearing the blood from her face, its bristles grating into the lacerations, scraping against the bone. With her eyes closed, she pulled the towel away, smirking as she exhaled through her grit teeth, then gliding her tongue along the blood on her upper lip, spitting it out. Her eyelids cracked open, her bloodshot gaze meeting the reflection in the mirror before her, with John standing adjacent to it, his hands resting upon the smooth craftsmanship.

He glanced at the glass, then back to MBI's dog. _"This...is who you are."_

A sadistic half-smile distorted The Black Sekirei's lips. She began to snicker, which soon escalated into a cackling laugh of dark, psychotic satisfaction.

The laughter gave John a strong urge to retch, but he paid no mind to it. As it died down, he kept his end of the bargain. _"Having passed your test, as promised, I shall assist you in coming face to face with #08 again...though in order for that to happen, there is yet another game you must partake in."_

The Raven Feather's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" Her crooked smirk drew more blood from her sliced cheeks. "I'm all ears."

_"First, I offer you an alternative choice_," John said, his visage emotionless. _"If you want, I can have one of my associates release your Ashikabi, and the two of you may leave. __But..."__  
_

"But...?" Karasuba asked, gesturing for him to continue.

_"If you stay and continue to your next game and leave your Ashikabi where he is, well, I already explained that."__  
_

"That you did," Karasuba sneered. "What does this 'game' consist of?"

_"I will require your assistance in putting my other games together. If you do, I promise you Yume."_

"And how do you plan to do that?" she asked derisively.

He raised his arm and pointed over to a bar stool set in front of a counter. _"Have a seat and I'll show you."_

He made his way over to the manila folder on the table as Karasuba motioned to sit down, the excruciating pain not even making her flinch. He grabbed it, and walked over to the countertop, flicking it down in front of her, the lack of friction making it slide into her hands. With her thumb and index finger nestled between the pages, she gently flips it open. Inside were the top-secret dossiers and mug shots of the Sekirei Plan's participants, including the majority of Sekirei, Ashikabi, and the self-proclaimed "Game Master" himself.

John pointed out one photo in particular, that of a twenty year old ronin student by the name of Minato Sahashi. She lifted the photo to her mutilated visage, holding it between the thumb and bridge of her index finger, her narrowed eyes inspecting his dark hair and grey eyes.

He leaned into the counter, forearms crossed. _"The man in the photo is someone you should know all too well."_

She took a long blink, letting out a disgruntled 'hmph' before shifting her gaze back to John, and slapping the photo back down on the table. "So, I assume you want me to kill him?"

_"No," h_e stated in a shallow murmur. _"The act of murder is something that sickens me; as it was the reason why you were brought here." _He focused on the topic at hand. _"I need you to find this man and bring him to me. Render him unconscious, but do not hurt him in any way. Doing so will forfeit your Ashikabi's life, as well as our deal."_

Karasuba considered this. She knew that Yume's spirit was inside Musubi, and would take control in an extreme situation. What situation could be more extreme for a lovesick fool like her than her Ashikabi being in mortal danger? With that in mind, Karasuba made a decision that would affect many lives in the future.

"Very well," she said, smirking. "I will do as you ask...but first, I would like to know the name of the man I'm working for."

He inhaled through his nose, and shifted his gaze to the corner of the room before meeting her visage again. _"Although I have never once ended a person's life, the general public refers to me as The Jigsaw Killer...but my associates...simply refer to me as John."_

She chuckled under her breath. "Well..."John"...since we are now "associates", do you mind specifying your motivations for kidnapping Mu-chan's Ashikabi?" She took a long pause before going on. "...not that I care, though."

_"I would rather keep my motives to myself for the time being. Prove to me that you are trustworthy, however, and I might specify in greater detail."_

She exhaled through her nose, shrugging her shoulders. "Fair enough, I suppose. When do you like me to strike?"

_"According to my sources, Mr. Sahashi's shift should be ending within the next two hours. He works at an underpopulated construction site, so apprehending him without attracting attention shouldn't be too difficult..."_

"I know the place. I often perch myself on the highest building there to stalk the potential prey below for hours on end..." She filled her lungs with a deep breath of fresh air, holding it in before letting out a pleasured, almost orgasmic sigh. "...it gives me a...warm...feeling inside."

Despite his reluctance to work with this woman, John knew that he had no choice in the matter. Karasuba's skill and overall credentials were unmatched, and that was something he needed in order for his plans to finally come to fruition. As deplorable as her actions may have been, Minaka's on the other hand were far worse, and in order to carry out his actions against him, he needed the best. The Black Sekirei's sadistic tendencies would prove useful, as she would no doubt carry out every order he gave her without feeling any amount of sympathy or regret, detaching herself emotionally to her work much like him, and never discerning herself with whether the individuals she brought to him survived or perished; ironic that was the thing which made him utterly despise her.

With a soft sigh, John kneeled down under the counter. _"On the off chance you are spotted though..." _John extracted a cardboard box and set it on the table. He tore it open; pulling out a disturbingly realistic pig mask with thin layers of long black hair, a red wrestling robe, and black leather gloves. _"...this disguise should keep them from recognizing you_."

Staring into the swine's beady little eyes, she smiled. "Aww, how cute."

A second, distinctly male voice then pierced their eardrums. "Not the word I would use to describe it, but it should suit your efforts quite nicely."

Both their gazes shifted to meet their visitor; a professedly calm male dawning a white lab coat and short-cropped blonde hair.

John addressed him. _"Ah, Dr. Gordon. We didn't hear you come in." _Extending his arm he motioned to the open stool._"Please, have a seat."_

"Certainly." He sat down, leaning his arm into the table and crossing his legs, facing Karasuba. "I see our new enforcer has finally woken up."

_'Enforcer, eh? I like the sound of that...'_ Karasuba tilted her head back to John, raising an eyebrow. "Another one of your associates, I presume?"

Dr. Gordon introduced himself. "I'm John's personal doctor and assistant." He extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you, the name's Dr. Lawrence Gordon."

She accepted the gentleman's gesture, gently grasping his hand with her fingers, but not shaking it. "Likewise."

Not a millisecond later, she ripped the disguise off the table, leaving behind the gloves. "Now if you excuse me..." Standing up, she whipped the robe onto her shoulders in cape-like fashion, tying the leather belt in a knot as the flapping died down.

"Leaving so soon, Karasuba?" Dr. Gordon questioned. "There's still time. I could tend to your wounds if you'd like."

"Hmph; There's no need." she snorted. "Besides," Cocking her head over the shoulder, she glances back at them. "I'm rather fond of my new look."

_'This is one crazy bitch,' t_he doctor thought, his eyes involuntarily drifting from left to right._ 'Damn, John, you sure know how to pick 'em.' _He responded to her decision."I-If that's how you feel, go on ahead. I'm not stopping you."

As she made her way towards the exit, she peered over her shoulder at the doctor. "Wise decision."

John called out to her as she motioned to leave agan. _"Karasuba..."_

She halted her footsteps, turning back towards her employers once more. "Yes?"

John reached under the counter, and pulled out her nodachi. _"Don't forget this." _He tossed it to her, underhanded.

Extending her arm, she captured the hilt of her weapon of choice from the air and slipped it into her robe with one swift motion. "Heh, thanks."

Nervous of John's decision, Dr. Gordon whispered to him through his grit teeth, flooded with anxiety. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Ignoring his understandable silent outburst, he bid his latest subject a temporary farewell. _"Good luck, Karasuba. We'll be waiting."_

She stepped through the door, pig mask clenched in her tightening grasp. "This..." A bloodthirsty grin of dark satisfaction then washed over her lips. "...ought be fun."

* * *

**4:46:24...4:46:23...4:46:22...**

"Hmph; So that's what that thing around your neck is for, eh?" Benitsubasa replied.

For the past few minutes, Benitsubasa and Minato had been aimlessly wandering the corridors in search of any signs or clues leading to the whereabouts of their next test, and hopefully his Sekirei. The building was huge, and much to The Red Sekirei's chargin, the two felt as if they were walking in circles. The ronin, however, seemed significantly more calm and relaxed as opposed to when he first chose to "run this gauntlet" as his captor once put it. Understandable, considering that he now had somebody watching his back. Granted, Benitsubasa and him were not the greatest of friends (understatement of a lifetime), but it was always nice to have somebody to talk to, especially in dark times like this.

The ronin gently rested his fingertips on the collar as they continued down the path. "Yep. If my Sekirei try to escape their "predicaments" by utilizing their powers, I try to remove it without the key, or the timer runs out, the collar will go off, resulting in not only my death, but the deaths of my Sekirei as well."

"Hmm, I see. Any clue as to why this creep targeted you?" she questioned.

"At first I thought it was somebody looking to purge me from the Sekirei Plan, since as of now, my harem is the largest of anybody's. I figured that someone wanted to kill me in order to rid themselves of what they may consider to be their biggest threat." He took a breath before continuing. "...now I know that's not the case. What we're dealing with now is something far worse. If I'm not mistaken, I believe we may be the most recent victims of The Jigsaw Killer."

The Red Sekirei's pink eyebrow cocked upward. "The Jigsaw Killer?"

"Back when I was studying for my first college entrance exam, we were required to write an essay on a notorious foreign criminal. I did some digging and came across an American serial killer known as Jigsaw. What I found to be most interesting about him was the fact that the people he targets are not just random victims, but people whom he considers to be unappreciative of their lives and/or the lives of others. Whether it be drug addicts, thieves, murderers, and even suicidal individuals, they are all susceptible to his 'games.'"

She gave the ronin a confused, yet curious glare. "Games?"

"That's what he dubs his method of killing as. Unlike ordinary serial killers, Jigsaw doesn't personally kill the victim, but rather places them in deadly traps or life-threatening situations that are often symbolic of what he perceives as a flaw in that person's life. He usually addresses his "subjects" via an audio or video tape, explaining the rules of the game and what they must do in order to survive."

"You mean like the puppet thing on the TV and the tape recorder in my pocket?"

He nodded. "Exactly...but their freedom comes with a price. More often than not, the tasks the victim must partake in in order to go on living involve acts of self mutilation and varying degrees of psychological torture. The strange thing is that even though he subjects his victims to these tests, Jigsaw doesn't believe himself to be a murderer, since he always leaves the victim's fate in their own hands, or in the hands of another one of his subjects."

She laced her fingers together behind her head, leaning into them. "Hmm, then from the sounds of things, he shouldn't have targeted you at all. Granted I never really got to know you outside of...well...trying to kill you, but from what I gather, you don't seem like the type of person that this "Jigsaw" guy would come after."

"That's where you're wrong," he claimed. "Jigsaw targeted me because of my lack of self worth, and by kidnapping me and my Sekirei, he believes that I could somehow overcome this and truly earn them by participating in his game."

"Huh...well, that seems to be a rather shallow reason to kill someone..." Her gaze drifted down to the corner of her eyes, continuing her statement with an almost inaudible whisper. "...like I'm one to talk..."

"Shallow or not, we're still here, and our lives are very much at risk." He decided to change the subject. "But I've spoken enough about myself and my own predicament. Mind if I ask you about yours?"

"Well you did save my life after all, so I suppose I could answer a few questions. Shoot."

"Back when you were still chained to the ceiling, you told me that you couldn't use your powers to free yourself. Mind specifying?"

Staring at the ground, Benitsubasa inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled her reasoning moments later. "If I did, Natsuo would have died."

"Natsuo?" he inquired. "Isn't he your Ashikabi?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes, and I'm the only one that can save him...or at least that's what the creepy doll thing told me when I woke up a few hours ago."

"That still doesn't explain why you couldn't tell me about the situation, Benitsubasa."

"I couldn't because if I did, his trap would activate and kill him. The doll said something about 'my impending visitor's decision having to be made out of the the nature of his heart, rather than by distracting his moral compass,' or something like that."

"I see, so in other words, he wanted my decision to be genuine."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine, kid."

"When I first woke up, I found a folder showing each of my Sekirei in their respective traps. I assume Jigsaw did the same for you as well?"

"Worse. The TV clicked on showing him inside an elevator shaft." She began to whimper, holding back tears as they glazed over in her eyes. His ribs were showing. It looked like he hadn't eaten in days..." She takes a long pause to regain her composure, wiping the tears from her eyes as her sight shifts back to Minato. "I won't go into detail about the trap itself, but long story short, if I even mentioned his name to you while I was still chained up, he would have been ripped in half."

Minato was shocked at the display of raw emotion Benitsubasa was giving off. Never did he imagine that one with as tough an exterior as her could break down so casually, especially given how high the degree of cruelty and heartlessness her actions were on the night of the bridge escape. That night, she nearly killed everyone he loved, right in front of him no less, and did it with a smile on her face. Now she was fighting to hold back tears at mere thought of her Ashikabi's potential end.

Frowning, the ronin gradually shook his head, his eyes tightly clamped shut at the thought. "I'm...sorry. That must have been hard to live through again. I didn't mean to make you upset."

_'Is this kid for real...?' _She gawked at the ronin's kind gesture. "Th-Thank you..."

The Red Sekirei was taken off guard by Minato's heartfelt condolences. After everything she did to him and his Sekirei, he still found it in his heart to comfort her in her time of vulnerability. She fully expected the ronin to berate her for crying as a way of further rubbing salt in her wounds, but she instead received the opposite. The kindness Minato had shown her was something she was not accustomed to, but it helped. A lot. It even gave her a warm feeling inside.

His gaze shifts back to her. "You must really love your Ashikabi then, don't you?"

With her lips sucked in, she nodded. "I do. I would do anything for him..." She sighed. "If only I hadn't left him alone at that damn doctor's office..."

"Is that the last time you saw him?"

"Yeah. A few days prior, he received a phone call from this new doctor, calling him in to receive his annual flu shot. The doctor was an American guy who had apparently been working for MBI's medical branch for the past few years. I think his name was "Gorgon" or something along those lines. I really thought nothing of it and stepped out to buy a candy bar at the store a few blocks away. As I jumped along the rooftops, I suddenly felt my body give way and I fell into a nearby alleyway, where a few trash bags broke my fall. Last thing I remember before waking up was being dragged into some dark van by some guy wearing a pig mask and a red robe. Then...well...you know the rest."

"So you think the doctor may have had something to do with how you and Natsuo ended up here?"

"To be honest," she shook her head in disbelief before shifting her gaze to the floor again. "I'm not sure what to think anymore..."

"Was there anyone else keeping an eye on Natsuo before you left?"

"Yeah, Haihane was there, but she was too caught up playing her PSP to really notice anything suspicious." Shrugging her shoulders once again, she let out one more heavy sigh. "...like I said, if it weren't for me leaving him behind, none of this would have happened. It's my fault."

He halted his steps, clenching his fists. "Don't say that!" the ronin snapped, taking her by surprise. "There was absolutely no way you or anyone else for that matter could have predicted something like this happening, so don't blame yourself any of this!"

Drawing her arms to her chest, Benitsubasa stared at him. "I...I guess you're right. Come to think of it, Haihane should have been more alert while I was gone. If it's anyone's fault, it's hers."

Minato wanted to face-palm at that statement, but in the end figured that it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie. If what Benitsubasa said kept her in a more stable and hopeful state of mind, then he wasn't going to ruin that for her. Both she and him had enough on their plate to deal with as of now, and an argument was the last thing they needed, so they continued down the corridor.

"So, Minato," Benitsubasa began. "what's the last thing you remember before waking up?"

**XXXXXX**

"It's great to see that they're getting along," stated Dr. Gordon. "Much quicker than I anticipated even."

As per usual, Dr. Gordon and John were studying the live feeds, watching the unlikely duo engage in casual small talk. Karasuba watched along with them, but the bored expression she dawned on her burned and butchered visage made it seem like she could care less.

Resting a cheek upon his fist, John glanced at him. _"Take into consideration that Mr. Sahashi was the one who spared her life, doctor. That decision must weigh heavy on her current outlook towards him."_

Karasuba leered down at them, arms crossed. "Do you think he suspects me?"

"Given your recent actions towards him, I wouldn't be surprised," Dr. Gordon responded. "Considering, however, that Benitsubasa, one of your subordinates, is alongside him in these trials though, that might strain him to think otherwise."

"Heh," The Black Sekirei snickered. "given Red's attitude, I doubt that they would get very far." Flicking her cape in the air, she turned to leave. "I'll give them an hour before they start to rip each other apart."

"Where are you off to now, Karasuba?" questioned Dr. Gordon.

"Gonna check on our caged animal. Don't want it to die of starvation before the fun begins, do we?"

**XXXXXX**

"...then the next thing I know, I'm waking up in this building tied to a chair."

"Huh...so you were just struck over the head while walking home from work, eh?" she reflected. "That's not as calculating as I expected it would be...but given the fact that you're not a Sekirei, I don't think it needed to be."

The ronin gave her an unamused, agitated glare as opposed to a vocal response.

Benitsubasa grazed her fingers through her pink hair. "Eh...not that I'm implying anything of course...heh, heh...ehhhh..."

"Never thought you were." He changed the subject. "Back on the topic of Natsuo's kidnapping though, where was your leader when all this took place?"

"No idea, really."

"You sure she wasn't off slaughtering children again?" asked Minato in a calm, yet angered tone.

"Yeah, I heard about what happened to #108." Breaking eye contact, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Blowing a sigh through her moist lips, she turned to the ronin once more, eyes locking to his visage. "I know this may not mean much to you, but neither myself nor Haihane have spoken to Karasuba at all since the incident occurred. Take that as you will."

"Am I hearing this correct?" asked the ronin. "Are you actually trying to imply that you feel remorse about someone getting killed that isn't yourself or someone close to you?"

"Look, kid," she muttered. "I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the moral compass of a saint, but I do have standards. Now I've willingly done a lot of bad shit as part of the Discipline Squad, but killing a child is where I draw the line."

"If that's the case, why didn't you try to stop her?"

"We weren't there, stupid. I can't speak for Haihane, but if I was there, I would have at least tried to talk her down."

"Talk her down?" Minato questioned with an unimpressed huff. "That's it?"

"You know as well as I do that if I even tried to get close to her, Karasuba would have struck me down in an instant."

"I don't believe you." Minato stated bluntly, shaking his head from side to side. "Even in her weakened state, Musubi was able to hold her her own against Karasuba shortly after we received the cure to Chiho's illness. Given how you were able to dominate Musubi during the night of the bridge escape, I have no doubt in my mind that you could have lasted long enough to hold Karasuba off so we could get Kusano out of there."

"So you're asking me to risk...no, throw away my own life to protect someone that I didn't even know?! Are you insane?!"

"You mean much like I risked my life to help Shigi and Kuno escape the city? Those actions had nothing to do with the degree of one's sanity, Benitsubasa, they have everything to do with the kindness present in one's heart...which is something you clearly lack."

"Pfft; Cry me a fuckin' river."

"I already did when Kusano was murdered right before my eyes, but that didn't bring her back." He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that crying will never solve anything, and the only thing you can do is move on and appreciate what you still have."

"Yeah...I...I suppose you're right. I apologize for sounding so damn irritable. Either way, you have my condolences. I am sorry for your loss."

He nodded as a smile briefly distorted his lips. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Making their way around the next turn, the unlikely pair came across a dead end. At the end of the hallway, however, were two reinforced steel doors. As they made their approach, a steel gate slammed down behind them, thus trapping the two where they stood. Benitsubasa, being the hot-headed bird-brain that she is, made a dash for the gate, pounding her fists into it again and again, but to no avail.

She torqued her neck back towards the ronin. "What the fuck is going on?!" she swore in fearful anger.

"I...I don't know but," he raised his now trembling arm, pointing a finger over the Red Sekirei's shoulder. Uttering his next words, Minato nearly swallowed his Adam's apple. "...but I think he wants to have a word with us."

"What are you talking about? There's no one-" Turning back towards the gate, Benitsubasa found herself staring at a man in a pig mask, wielding a nail-studded baseball bat. The selective mute towered over the both of them, standing at nearly 6'3.

Benitsubasa broke this silence by shouting. "What the fuck are you doing you sick freak?! Let us out of here! NOW!"

Minato tried to cool his reluctant ally's temper. "Benitsubasa, please calm down! You're just making things worse!"

She snapped back at him. "SHUT UP! Let me take care of- AGH!"

Her words were halted as Jigsaw's subordinate landed a hard, yet swift kick to the barrier separating them, the surprise of the blow sending The Red Sekirei tumbling back into Minato's arms as she lost balance.

The ronin asked her out of concern. "You alright?"

Clenching her fists, she voiced her deranged resentment. "That pigheaded deadbeat just made the biggest mistake of his life...!" Her eyes flash open with a certifiably insane killing intent. "HE'S DEAD!"

Looking through the gate once more, Minato shook his head. "He's gone."

Daunted at the bad news, Benitsubasa charged at the gate again, ramming her shoulder into it in a vein attempt to break it down. "Get back here you fucking coward!" she shouted as the profanity vibrated off her tongue. "I'll teach you to kick me and think you can get away with it!" She brought her arm back, balling her fist as it began to radiate with a lethal amount of pink energy. "Extreme Qua-"

As Benitsubasa motioned to drive her fist through the steel barricade, she felt something grasp hold of her wrist. She glanced over her shoulder with a swift jerk of the neck, and found Minato firmly grasping her arm.

"What are you doing?! Let me go!" she demanded.

"Don't do it, Benitsubasa!" begged the ronin. "It's a game! You know damn right well what happens if you use your powers to defy the rules! Think of Natsuo! He needs you now!"

In any other circumstance, Minato's devout reasoning would have fell upon deaf ears, but the affection The Red Sekirei had for her beloved Ashikabi rationalized and calmed her fuming temperament. The pinkish glow encircling her fist faded into the air, the tense veins in her face and arms popping out as she kicked the steel in frustration. For once, the outlet of her madness had dispersed in favor of what was to come in the grand scheme of things, and she didn't like it one bit.

The sensual pink haired matron released the built up tension in her body with a sigh before complying with her unlikely cohort's heartfelt pleas. "...Alright...you've made your point." She glimpsed back at him once more. "You can let go now. I'm okay."

The ronin's fingers release their grip from her wrist, letting her arm drop down to her waist. She shrugs her shoulders, shaking her head while thoughts of her Ashikabi's ever so likely demise flooded her senses. A single tear slithered down her cheek and onto the floor. The man behind her had just saved her life for the second time in the span of just a half hour. If it weren't for his interference, the anger which nearly consumed her would have no doubt triggered Natsuo's end, and she would have had no one to blame but herself. Though Benitsubasa didn't want to admit it, she owed Minato a great debt. One she would would most likely never be able to repay.

"So," she went on. "what do we do now?"

The ronin eases down on one knee. I don't know, but..." He picks up a letter lying on the ground. "...it seems like our friend left us a clue of sorts."

She leans in over the ronin's shoulder, peeking at the parchment in curiosity. "What does it say?"

Unfolding the note, he reads:

_"X marks the spot. Sometimes, you see more with your eyes shut."_

"Hmm..." the ronin pondered. "See more with your eyes shut." He glances around the corridor. "See more...eyes shut..."

"What do you think it means, Minato?" she questions him.

"I don't know." he replied, shifting his gaze to the end of the hall. "Lets take a look at those doors first. Considering that those are our only options to press onward, I think we should check them out first and foremost."

She nodded. "Gotcha."

The doors were sealed up tight. No one could get in or out. But upon further examination, there was a notable difference between the two: While the door on the right had one keyhole, the one to their left required two to open. The both of them instinctively checked their pockets for the keys, but none were present. Having done extensive research on Jigsaw though, Minato knew the keys had to be somewhere in the corridor with them. The same couldn't be said for Benitsubasa, whom seemed to be growing more and more impatient with each passing moment.

"Well," declared the pink haired Sekirei with a scowl, biting down on the tip of her thumb. "I guess we're trapped like rats."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Benitsubasa." he reassured her. "Jigsaw wouldn't just leave us here to die. He always provides his subjects with a way out; it's just that they need to think outside the box in order to find it."

"You keep bringing up this "Jigsaw" guy, but how can you be so damn sure that it's him?! You said yourself that he is from a foreign country, so what the hell is he doing here in the capital?!"

He kept calm. "The Jigsaw Killer is a very calculating and multi-talented criminal. Think about it, Benitsubasa, not only was he able to kidnap you and your Ashikabi, but also myself, and each of my Sekirei, as well as set up all the games in this building for us to partake in. This is much too elaborate for any copy cat killer to pull off, and if that wasn't enough, the puppet's voice as well as the voice on the tape were the exact same as the voice on the tapes I listened to when I researched him. It has to be him. There is no one else that would put the time, effort, and dedication into something like this."

Crossing her arms beneath her...um, "cleavage" (yeah, lets go with that), The Red Sekirei puffed out a "hmph" before responding. "That still doesn't explain why he's in Japan. Care to shed some light on THAT while you're at it?"

_'Shed some light...' _Those words echoed throughout the ronin's subconscious. He remained silent for a moment to process the information, much to Benitsubasa's chagrin.

"Hey, are you listening?!" she shouted, grasping her hips as she leaned inward. "Answer me, dammit!"

He cocked his head upward, shifting his gaze to the ceiling. "Shed some light! Benitsubasa, you're a genius!"

Bewildered, she tilted her head to the shoulder. "Genius? What the hell does that mean? And what are you looking at anyway?"

"Remember what the the note said about "X" marking the spot?" He pointed to the object of interest hanging nine feet above. "Well, I think we've just found our "X"."

She fixated her sights to the ceiling. Hanging above was a lone bulb, bright enough to illuminate the entire hallway. The said bulb's socket was centered inside an "X" crudely painted in blood red.

All the pieces of the puzzle were now falling into place. "The note said we could see more with our eyes shut. What better way to mimic closing ones eyes than by turning out the lights?"

"Good point." she admitted. "See a light switch anywhere?"

Looking around the corridor multiple times over, neither the ronin or Benitsubasa could find anything remotely resembling a light switch. The aging walls were entirely bare, save for trace amounts of chipping paint.

"Well," the ronin stated. "it looks like we're going to have to remove the bulb manually."

"Or you could just throw your shoe at it."

"And risk destroying our only source of light? I don't think so. For all we know, that bulb may be the key to completing one of our later tests."

"Kid...it's a light bulb."

"No, it's a game." he rebuked.

"Now," slouching over and cupping his hands, he braces himself. "since the light is too high up for us to reach, I'm going to give you a boost to unscrew it."

With a petulant sigh, The Red Sekirei's eyes rolled into the back of her head. "Fine." She climbed onto the ronin's hands, resting one boot on his shoulder, and reached for the light fixture.

"Try not to burn yourself, Benitsubasa, and remember, you need to turn it to the left in order to unscrew it."

Unscrewing the bulb, she let out an unamused grumble. "I know! I'm not an idiot! And I'm wearing gloves in case you haven't noticed!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be fine. Goddamn, stop being so fuckin' paranoid, kid."The Red Sekirei glimpsed back down at the ronin. "Hey, pervert, you had BETTER not be peeking at anything down there!"

"Peeking? At what?! You're wearing shorts, remember?!"

Her face flushed bright red, capillaries radiating with embarrassment. "Oh, um...right. Forget I said anything then..."

He whispered under his breath. "...and you call me paranoid..."

She overheard him. "What was that?!"

"Oh, um...nothing. It was nothing."

"Yeah, it better be nothing." She twisted the bulb a few more times, it's squeaking becoming hollower as it loosened from the socket. "Almost got it..."

With a final twist of the wrist, the entire room went dark. Almost pitch black. Upon removing the bulb, the socket sparked, catching The Red Sekirei by surprise.

"Whoa!"

"You alright?" asked Minato.

As Benitsubasa struggled to maintain balance in the darkness, she inadvertently planted her boot in the ronin's face. Minato felt as though blood might erupt from his nose at any moment. While Benitsubasa couldn't use her strength for fear of endangering Natsuo's life even further, she still had enough strength to really make it hurt when it counted, coupled with the fact that Minato himself was not exactly the most durable man on the planet. He fell backward, though he managed to keep from falling completely off his feet for a few moments, while Benitsubasa flailed her arms around while desperately trying not to drop the bulb. Minato's momentary balance gave way, and they tumbled to the floor, the Red Sekirei's clothed rear smashing into his face.

Normally, such a thing would have made him blush, but the pain of the impact squashed any chances of hormonal urges kicking in. All he could really do was thank his lucky stars that it was pretty dark in the room, otherwise Benitsubasa might have taken offense to their current position and bust out a few of his teeth, consequences be damned.

Speaking of Benitsubasa, she mercifully rolled off him, apparently failing to have noticed just what her posterior had landed on mere moments ago.

Shaking the cobwebs, Benitsubasa grazed her hand over the back of her head, ruffling fingers through her pink hair, eyes squinting from the pounding in her cranium. "Ow...my head."

With a muffled whimper, Minato stroked his cheek. "You stepped on my face..."

"Yeah? Well be thankful I didn't stomp on your crotch. You're a man. Suck it up and grow a pair."

Oh, he was _REALLY_ glad she didn't notice that she'd sat on his face!

What she did notice as she sat up, however, was something glowing around the ronin's neck; a luminous green thread of sorts. "Hey, kid, what's that around your neck?"

"We've already been through this; it's a shotgun collar."

"No, not that. There's something else there; and it's glowing too."

"There is...?" He reached for his neck, fingertips gliding across the glowing green thread encircling it. He pulled at the string, and sure enough, the key was dangling by it. "He hid the key in plain sight." he uttered. _'Man, do I feel like an idiot.'_

He deviated his attention back to Benitsubasa, the luminous red thread glued to his gaze. "Looks like you have one around your neck to."

"I do?" She grasped at the string, hoisting it over her head, letting it settle into her palm. "Huh, well would ya look at that."

They both veered their heads towards the doors again, the glow in the dark paint radiating off them drew a path of light through the darkness. The door on the left read: "Path of Forgiveness", it's two keyholes glowing respectively to the color of their respective strings: One red; One green.

The door to the right on the other hand had the words "Path of Vengeance", it's lone, luminous keyhole only matching that of the ronin's green string.

The ronin pulled himself to his feet. "Well," he offered Benitsubasa his hand. "I guess we solved the puzzle."

She accepted it; the ronin pulls her back to a vertical balance. "Yeah, I...I suppose we did."

With both now standing a yard and a half from their two options, Benitsubasa asked, "So, which door should we take?"

"Well, taking into account that the door to our left reads "Path of Forgiveness", it leads me to believe that my choice to save your life has something to do with it. This is especially true, considering that if I chose to...well...not be as humane when I crossed paths with you, the key around your neck would have most likely dissolved in the acid, thus making the "Path of Vengeance" the only viable option."

"So I take it that we're choosing the door on the left, then?"

"Yep."

As they motioned to insert the keys into their individually colored chambers, Benitsubasa came to a halt. "Wait."

The ronin glances at her. "What?"

"Perhaps we should check the other door while we're at it. See if there's anything in there we could use to make our lives easier."

"Good idea, but considering that once we entered this part of the corridor, our access to the outside was cut off, I have no doubt that once we enter one of these rooms, the door will slam and seal shut behind us. Or at least that's what my gut instincts tell me."

"Yeah, you have a point." She inserted her key, turning it with an audible click as the first chamber unlocked. "Your turn."

**4:27:21...4:27:20...4:27:19...**

* * *

_**13 Days prior to Minato's trials...**_

"Yukari?"

"Ungh..."

"Yukari, wake up!"

An exhausted sigh escaped through Yukari Sahashi's chapped, tightly drawn lips. Her sleep-encrusted baby blue eyes cracked open as she rubbed the back of her cranium, adjusting to the darkness and coming to focus on the visage of her pretty-boy companion, Shiina, Sekirei #107, whom many came to know and fear as the Death-God Sekirei.

"Ungh..." she groaned. "Shi-Shiina...? I-Is that you...? Where are we...?" Still dazed, she sat up from the black stone slab she was resting on, still trying to familiarize herself with the dark, dungeon-like ambiance and atmosphere. "Are we still at the doctor's office...?"

Almost swallowing his throat with a gaping gulp, he reluctantly answered her question, knowing full well that it would result in a rather...vocal outburst, to say the least. "No...we're not. I don't know where we are..."

She slowly repeated his last statement, still unaware of her predicament. "Don't...know...where...we...are...? Ungh..." Her slumber-entranced eyes drift from left to right, escalating into circular rotations as her dormant mind regained its steady flow of blood. Her head jerked in conjunction with her now fully alert sense of sight. "Shiina?!" she stated in a frightened and serious tone, pushing herself off the slab and rising to her feet in one swift motion, head now slowly turning from side to side as she examined the room, unable to keep her mouth closed. "Where are we?!"

"Please..." He pleaded with her. "calm down, Yukari."

Panicking, Yukari made a bee-line for the door, grasping the knob with both hands. She pulled and tugged, desperately trying to yank the door open as she hyperventilated, her foot firmly planted on the wall to exert more strength. But it was no use. The door didn't budge an inch, nor did any sound excrete from it's tight, rusty hinges.

She was so focused on her futile efforts to pry the door open, that she hadn't noticed the death god's hands firmly rest upon her shoulders. "It's no use, Yukari." he reasoned in his usual soft voice. "I did everything I could to open it. Even use my powers. It was no use..." He uttered his last words with a saddened sigh. "...we're trapped."

The Demon Ashikabi whimpered, pushed her body up against the reinforced steel and pounded away at it with her palms before she finally slid down onto the floor in defeat. Her head pressed into the steel, she slammed her fist into it once more before turning back towards her prized pretty boy, her face settled in her hands, chest arched into her bent knees.

She pulled her visage from her sweaty palms, rearing her neck back as she let out a shrill cry. "We're gonna be kiiiiiiiiilled!"

"Not if I could help it, Yukari." Shiina reassured as he kneeled down to his life partner, eyes locking to hers. "You are my Ashikabi, and that means I will fight to protect you no matter what."

"Shiina...I..."

"As your Sekirei, I will ensure your safety, even if it costs me my life." He stood. "Now," He offered her his hand. "will you join me?"

Yukari grasped her Sekirei's hand and gripped it lovingly as he pulled her to her feet. "Thank you, Shiina," she said, smiling.

Shiina smiled at his mistress, then his visage turned serious. "We should get out of here," he said. "But before we look for a way out, I think we should find a light. There's no point in searching for a door in the dark, and I don't think it would be wise of us to wait until our eyes adjust to it."

Yukari nodded, when suddenly, a small amount of light illuminated a corner of the room, or what she thought was a corner. On closer inspection, they both saw that it was a television hanging from the wall. The screen was fuzzy at first, but as it became clearer, they saw what appeared to be a ventriloquist's doll, and a rather scary-looking one at that: its wooden (or maybe plastic) face was completely white, with red swirls on its cheeks. The eyes were red and looked mechanical, and jet black hair (if indeed it was hair) jutted out from the back of its head.

Ashikabi and Sekirei clutched each other in fear as the doll's mouth opened, and a chilling voice said, _"Hello, and welcome."_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **Alright, I fully expect to get a lot of flack for the way I wrote Kusano out of the story. Before you decide to go into an** ALL CAPS RAGE** in your review, allow me to explain:

If I kept Kusano alive during the time this story takes place, Jigsaw most likely would have never tested Minato to begin with, considering that he KNOWS that the death of an Ashikabi means the death of all their Sekirei. The death of an innocent child like Kusano is not something he would want on his conscience, and if I decided to keep her in the story anyway, it would have been EXTREMELY OOC for him to test Minato, knowing that his death would lead to hers.

Think of it this way, now that Kusano has been written out of the story, she is free from having to go through any of the mental, emotional, and physical anguish the SaW series is known for. So in a way, what I did to her was an act of mercy.

And for those wondering why Minato is 20 years old as opposed to 19 in this fic, it's because Minato's trials take place on Halloween weekend (a nod to the film's annual Halloween release date tradition), and his birthday (according to the Sekirei wiki) is on Sept. 15th. Since the fic takes place in October, I had to increase his age to compensate.

Hope that clears up any confusion you may have had.

That being said, here are some of the other author's comments:

**pyromania101:** "This chapter was a beast to help write, not to mention I had other stuff to do besides help my buddies work on it, so you readers better appreciate this! If ya flame us, well, my username is what it is for a reason. Also, if you read and like it, please leave a genuine review instead of just marking it! It wouldn't kill ya!"

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **"It doesn't matter what you think. We're gonna do it anyway."

**Phen0m20: **Anyway, I would like to thank you all once again for sticking with us so long, and patiently waiting for this latest installment in our latest outing. We really worked our asses off on this, so I hope the wait was worth it.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the story, by all means contact one of us and we will be more than happy to indulge in some meaningful conversation with you.

With that said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stick around for the next release. And don't worry, it won't take nearly as long this time around. ;)


	4. Love Thy Neighbor

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback.

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **Hey, all, welcome back. Sorry once again for the long wait, but rest assured we've been hard at work on this latest chapter. So much so that we decided to split it into two separate chapters given its length. That being the case, this first half will most likely be considered the weakest installment in the series so far. That doesn't mean I think it's bad, as we did work our asses off on it, but the two story arcs many are most invested in (Minato & Benitsubasa's trials and Jigsaw's efforts to put an end to the Sekirei Plan) won't be present until the next half. But don't let that deter you. This chapter is extremely important as it sets the stage for many other important plot events to come along further down the line. I also experimented with the use of frantic flashbacks, so hopefully, you'll all find it to be a nice change of pace.

This is chapter also showcases CK's first original trap idea for the fic (though me and pyro did modify the fuck out of it over the last few months to make it evolve into something more elaborate. His original concept is still there, however, and without his input, we never would have come up with the final product you'll see in a few moments).

Now before I begin, there is a certain fanfic author on this site I would like to thank and bring to everybody's attention. The individual in question is a writer under the pen name "**Harlequin de Rustre**".

A few months ago, this man gave me very helpful advice and criticism which I have since used to improve my writing and aspire to never settle for mediocrity. I believe wholeheartedly that if it weren't for his inspiration, this fic, as well as my other more recent ones would have never turned out as good as they have.

I have read through some of his works since then, and wow. That's all I can say. He writes on a level that most authors can only dream of one day reaching. Unfortunately, he hasn't received as much attention as one would expect, with only 3 of the 17 stories he's composed having reviews in the double digits. Given his writing credentials, I find this to be absolutely criminal, and considering he's helped me so much, I feel obligated to send a few my readers his way in hopes of giving him more much deserved exposure.

A few months ago, I messaged him about my "Tell Me" one-shot, and he has yet to get back to me on it. That, and his last story update was back in May, so I'm not sure if he's abandoned the site all together, or my message has been lost in a sea of messages he may or may not have been bombarded with on a daily basis from others.

…or perhaps he just wants me to fuck off, but I digress.

**If you can't reach him on this site, you can reach him on his deviant art account; his user name being "Jester-of-the-Clown".**

He's doing artwork commissions on that site too (the guy is multi-fucking-talented!), so hopefully the exposure I'm offering him fatten his wallet with few extra bucks on the side. So yeah, go show him some love and review** THE FUCK** outta his stories (after you're done reading the chapter of course :P).

**Harlequin my friend, if you're reading this, thanks for everything. Without our brief exchange a few months ago, I may have never been capable of earning the fan base I have now in such a short period of time, and for that, you have my infinite gratitude. I know that I'll most likely never reach the level you're at when it comes to writing, but hopefully one day I can make something that you can call "genuinely entertaining"…**

With that out in the open, here are some comments from the other authors:

**pyromania101: **_"Read, enjoy, and for the LOVE OF GOD, REVIEW!"_

**The Clown King Of Chaos**: _"I'm very proud of this chapter. 'Nuff said"_

**Phen0m20: **Now let's begin where we left off, shall we?

* * *

**Love Thy Neighbor**

The huddling pair's tight embrace did nothing to keep their blood from running cold as the demonic plaything's deep utterance resonated from its clicking, wooden lips.

_"Throughout your time as participants in the Sekirei Plan, the two of you have gained a rather…infamous reputation for yourselves. Many refer to you as the…"Demon Ashikabi and The Reaper Sekirei" if memory serves correct. I find your so-called fearsome notoriety to be…slightly exaggerated…to put it bluntly…"_

Yukari couldn't help but shriek her next words. "I knew it, Shiina! We're dead!"

_"…today, I shall be putting this renowned distinction…to the test."_

The startled demonic duo staggered back as a loud clash of metal shutters slammed down just beyond the wall-mounted television set to reveal a hidden glass coffin. It was easily large enough to fit at least three people inside of it. Three green pipes were grafted into each side; small droplets of water dripped out of them.

On the front of the casket was a small metal device that looked like an explosive, with a small timer on it set at two minutes. There was also a combination lock right next to the timer, like the ones usually seen on a locker at Yukari's old school.

The individual inside said confinement was an all too familiar sight for them not to recognize. It was a young teenager, male, with tattered pants and an expensive looking shirt that both would have been completely white had they not been covered in dirt and grime. He had brown, somewhat spiky hair that also had specks of dirt in it, and his youthful face wore an expression of utter terror. At an angle, he lay upon thousands of shards of broken glass.

With his mind void of any sense of rationality, the boy repeatedly slammed his cut, bleeding fists into the glass in a vain attempt to crack it open as he cried out for his protector. "MUTSU! WHERE ARE YOU MUTSU?! Get me out of here! I want to go home!"

_"As you can both clearly see, the man in front of you is in…desperate need of help. I must stress, however, that this fate was his own doing. Mr. Mikogami has committed the ultimate sin of any Ashikabi; winging a Sekirei by force. To my knowledge, this act is equivalent to that of rape, and he has done this to over a half dozen of them, eventually leading him to attain the title of…"Ashikabi of the South". Given his lack of love and adoration of the Sekirei, or…"toys" he has forcefully entered a pact with, all but one of them remains in his –dare I call it- "care"._

The doll continued, inclining its head slightly.

_"Hayato's life…is out of his hands. The decision of whether or not he survives falls upon you, though I implore you…to do the opposite. Given your notorious reputation amongst the Sekirei Plan's participants, taking my advice and simply letting him drown should be easy. You are the Demon Ashikabi and Reaper Sekirei, after all. However, if you do choose to be merciful…"_

As if on cue, a light then suddenly flickered on behind them, illuminating the same door Yukari nearly ripped her nails out trying to pry open moments ago.

The doll continued its briefing.

_"One of you must enter the dark cubicle behind you with the flashlight provided, while the other must stay behind with this waste of human flesh and enter the code to his freedom. Inside the room are various combinations scribbled upon the walls, one of which will trigger the explosive grafted to Mikogami's glass casket."_

_"Don't worry," _it reassured them_. "The explosion will only be powerful enough to crack the bullet-proof glass just enough for it to shatter, and is by no means lethal. Be warned, however, that for every twenty seconds that pass, the person inside the cubicle will be met with a rather…"cold" indifference. I must stress, however, that breaking the pipes and utilizing Shiina's powers are not viable options, as that would be considered cheating...and I despise cheaters. If you do take this route, the nail bombs planted in each corner of the room and cubicle will go off…resulting in all your deaths. Hayato, by the time this recording ends, you will have one minute to convince the two before you that you are indeed worthy of saving, for after that minute expires, the door to the cubicle will unlock, and your confinement will rapidly begin to fill with water, completely submerging you within two minutes."_

Tears were now slithering down Mikogami's guise as he continued to scream. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" he screamed. "GET ME OUT! GET ME OUT! **GET ME OUT!**"

The puppet gave them the ultimatum.

_"If your reputation does indeed precede you, can you still find it in your hearts to…love thy neighbor and forgive this stain upon humanity for all the harm he's caused to so many? Make your choice."_

**_*…Fzzzzzt…zzzt…!_**

The picture lost focus as it ripples to static and fades to black.

**_1:00…0:59…0:58…_**

For a moment, the Reaper duo just stood there in shock. Standing right before them was the spoiled brat who preyed upon and stalked not only them, but countless others in his quest to satiate his selfish need for attention. The brat who wanted to add Shiina to his personal collection of dolls was imprisoned right before their eyes and begging for his life and no one was around to save him.

Their inner thoughts were hammered away as Mikogami slammed his forearms into the glass again. "What are you two waiting for?!" he shouted. "Get me out of here!"

The reaper Sekirei and his unholy mistress slowly encircled their arms around each other's waists.

"Why?" Yukari asked, anger permeating from her voice. "Why should we give you freedom when you've denied so many Sekirei the opportunity to find their true Ashikabis?!"

"You bitch!" he swore instinctively. "Mutsu will have your heads for this! Now get me out!"

Not a millisecond later, Mikogami lurched back in fear as a scowling Yukari delivered a hard kick to the glass separating them, eyes burning with hatred. "Call me a bitch again, and see where that gets you!" she shouted. "You forcefully winged damn near every one of your Sekirei, and stalked us to no end in an attempt to add Shiina to your sick little collection!" She growled viciously, anger seething through her visage. "I should leave you here to die you craven little shit!"

Shiina gently pulled her back into his arms, still maintaining his soft expression. "Yukari, please calm down. He's going through enough as it is…"

**_0:39…0:38…0:37…_**

Hayato whimpered his next words. "Wait! Please!" he pleaded. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" His cries intensified. "D-do you want money? I'll give you as much as you want! Just please, get me out of here! I don't want to die!"

"Ugh!" she groaned in disgust. "You have some nerve trying to bribe your way out of this after the horrible shit you've done!"

Mikogami was choked up, inhaling the river of tears he shed. "I'm so scared," he sniveled. "Please…don't let me die like this! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

The demonic mistress couldn't help but face-palm and tense up. She so desperately wanted to leave this bastard to his fate...but what would her brother think? He wouldn't leave this slimeball to die, even if he deserved it. He'd be the hero, and right now, she had to be.

With that in mind, her palm-shadowed eyes peered at Mikogami's terror stricken visage with the look of resignation in her face.

"I hate your guts," she spat. "…but I won't kill you." She turned to her Sekirei. "Shiina, you stay here and turn the lock; I'll find the combination."

**_0:23…0:22…0:21…_**

Mikogami was more than overjoyed by this change of heart. As the rich boy spoke his next words, he nearly lost his voice. "Th-thank you. Thank you!"

As she motioned to get the flashlight, Shiina reached out and grasped her shoulder. "No, Yukari, let me do it."

She glanced back at him. "Why, Shiina?"

"If you die, I die," he reasoned. "I want to protect you, Yukari, and I don't trust that doll. It's safer for you to stay here... let me go instead."

**_0:02…0:01…0:00_**

**_*Aaank!_**

An air horn-esque buzzer went off and a nightmarish red bulb popped on just above the explosive the moment the minute ended. Mikogami gasped, shrieking as a the adjacent row of hoses pumped freezing cold water into the glass box, and drenched his clothing. The spoiled craven pushed into the nozzles hoping to slow the rate at which the casket was filling, but it was no use. Yukari nearly swallowed her throat as Mikogami began to hyperventilate and his whimpers escalated louder and louder.

**_2:00…1:59…1:58…_**

"No time for debate," Shiina stated. "I'm going in."

The death god swiftly swiped the flashlight from the table, and motioned to rush towards the cubicle. As he turned around, his mistress pulled him in and briefly locked her lips against his.

The angel of death's wings burst from behind him, dissipating in almost an instant.

Yukari pulled away from the kiss. "Good luck."

Shiina nodded as he ventured into the cubicle. "Thanks, Yukari. I love you."

She smiled, nodding back as he disappeared into the darkness. "I love you too."

**XXXXXX**

The cubicle was pitch black and bitter cold. Way below freezing temperature. Shiina was unable to see three inches in front of him, let alone any writing on the walls. The Death Sekirei clicked on the flashlight, shivering and huffing out clouds of fog through his chapped lips. The jittering beam drew a path through the darkness, shadowing over many numbers randomly strewn throughout the corridor.

_I'll bet the code stands out in some way, _his mind concluded.

Lowering the beam, the light flashed upon a set of numbers written in blue, making it stand out from the rest. The sequence also had double digits as opposed to just single numbers separated by hyphens.

Before he could inform his mistress of the combination, however, a strange loud hissing noise was heard from above, and a freezing-cold mist of microscopic water droplets sprinkled down upon the pretty boy's frail build. He failed to suppress a scream of agony as he dropped to his knees, his body beginning to uncontrollably convulse from the shock of the extreme drop in temperature; the millions of tiny, tundra-like droplets of moisture stabbing into his bones like thumbtacks.

He could hear Mikogami's obstreperous screams in the background as the casket continued to fill. As he labored to suck in the air, Shiina shined the flashlight upwards. Above were hundreds of tiny sprinklers littering the ceiling like cockroaches in a rundown public restroom.

**~o~O~o~**

_"…for every twenty seconds that pass, the person inside the cubicle will be met with a rather…"cold" indifference."_

* * *

**_1:38…1:37…1:36…_**

The death god's mistress called out to him moments after his gut-deep cry, her voice echoing throughout the arctic cubicle. _"Shiina! Are you alright?! What happened?!"_

#107 staggered back to his feet, hugging at his shoulders in a vain attempt to keep warm. "I'm f-f-f-fine…" he stuttered. "Jussssssssssst a little cold water sp-sprinkled on me…I-I'm ok-k-kay…"

_"Are you sure?! Do you need help?!"_

Mikogami didn't take kindly to her question. _"Don't you dare leave me here alone!" _he shouted, the reverberation of him pounding his fist into the glass manifesting in Shiina's shivering eardrums. _"Do you hear me?!"_

"Don't you d-d-dare come in here, Yukari!" Shiina protested. "I f-f-found a s-sequence for you to try: 00-02-27-13-18."

"Okay, one sec."

A few seconds later, his mistress let out a high pitched scream which wouldn't die down.

He cried out to her. "Yukari, what's going on?! Please, answer me!"

_"It went right through my finger!"_ she moaned. _"A fuckin' needle went right through my goddamn finger!"_

Mikogami's whiny, feminine muttering stilted her agony. "Stop crying and stay focused, dammit! I need you now! Don't let a little pin prick keep you from saving me!"

Her anger overshadowed the pain. A thumping noise and a yelp indicated that she kicked the casket again. _"Shut up! How about I stick a pin through _your_ prick once we release you, you whiny bastard?!"_

He came across another set of numbers, this time written in orange.

**XXXXXX**

**_1:25…1:24…1:23…_**

Mikogami's knees were now almost completely submerged. His constant thrashing and fits of panic didn't help either, especially with the shards of glass scraping against his flesh…though it could be argued that he was more enamored with his clothes being torn and ripped instead.

Yukari had pulled off her shirt and wrapped it around her bleeding finger. The said "pin prick" went all the way through, and penetrated out the nail. It was bleeding quite a bit, slicking down to her wrist even.

Her pretty boy called out again. _"Here's another! 00-02-27-…"_

_*Hiss..._

The familiar noise drew another loud cry from Shiina as he was met with yet another cold indifference.

"Shiina!" cried out his mistress.

_"I'm fine!" _He loudly declared. _"…20-…13…!"_

Yukari reluctantly went back to the tumblers and entered the combination given. _These numbers seem so familiar…_ she thought.

This time, however, she prepared herself by using her shirt to press the button as opposed to her finger... or so she theorized. She pressed into it a few times and nothing happened. No needle, no explosion countdown, nothing.

"They know you're cheating!" Mikogami exclaimed. "You need to use your fingers for it to work!"

All the demonic mistress could do was growl back at him. She pressed her middle finger into the button, and yelped as the needle drew blood and jousted through once more. While it was painful, the initial shock from the first helped her cope more with the pain as she anticipated it this time around.

"Agh! Goddammit!" she whimpered, slowly pulling her hand from the button and slipping her finger off the needle, squeezing and caressing it in her palm. "…fffffffuck…!" she sighed, biting her bottom lip and slamming her eyes shut. "Wrong combination again, Shiina. Keep searching… tsss…agh…"

**_1:03…1:02…1:01…_**

_*Hiss…_

Shiina's cries were becoming fainter and weaker each time the sprinklers activated, and this time was no exception.

More than half the brat's body was now submerged, and to say he was freaking out would be a massive understatement. But the box kept filling despite his cries.

"Shiina…" she thought out loud. "God, please let him be alright…"

"Hey, don't pray for him, stupid girl!" the brat shouted, interrupting her train of thought. "I'm the one in danger of drowning, dammit, so urge God to show me love and mercy!"

Yukari then came to a realization. _"…God…love…."_

**~o~O~o~**

_"…can you still find it in your hearts to "__**love thy neighbor"**__ and forgive this stain upon humanity for all the harm he's caused to so many?"_

* * *

**_0:54…0:53…0:52…_**

_Love thy neighbor… _"That's it! That's the combination!"

The spiky-haired prepubescent teen pushed into the glass, staring daggers at the demonic mistress. "What is?! What's the combination?!"

Ignoring the contained noise, Yukari shouted into the cubicle. "Shiina, by any chance, have you come across a set of numbers ending in 19-19?"

_"N-no,"_ he responded, voice shivering in the soul-stabbing cold. _"why? I-is th-that part of the combination?"_

"From what I gather, each set of numbers you've been giving me have been biblical verses. The one we're looking for is "love thy neighbor". It was given to us as a hint by that doll thing before the timer started. I don't know all of it, but I know for a fact that it ends in 19-19!" _Thank God I chose to study the Bible over Canterbury Tales and that god-awful Twilight series during my English literature exams…_

_*Hiss_

Accustomed to the freezing rain, he didn't bother to shriek, holding in the expression of pain. "A-alr-right, I'll try to look for it. I found another set of numbers, but n-none of them end in 19-19. 00-01-01-03-23."

"Thanks, Shiina, but I don't think we're gonna need it. I'm positive that the verse we're looking for is the one I mentioned to you."

Mikogami slammed his hands into the glass once more, leaving behind bloody prints thanks to having scraped them against the shards of broken glass. The water was now up to his shoulders. "What if you're wrong?! Stop being so full of yourself and try the combination anyway!"

She arched her eyebrows, clenching her fists as the blood continued to drip from the tiny puncture wounds in her fingertips. "Fine, if it'll shut you up, I'll do it."

A few seconds and a bitter shriek later...

"Gah…! I told you it wouldn't be right!"

"Would you have been able to forgive yourself if it was?!" the brat retorted trying to stay afloat.

"Yes!" she spat, irritated.

The water was now up to his neck. It was rising faster than ever now. "Oh God! Oh God, please no!"

**_0:27…0:26…0:25…_**

Yukari was now starting to panic, ruffling both hands through her hair as Mikogami's tear-saturated visage submerged in the casket. He swam to the top, savoring the last bits of air he had as he unwaveringly gasped for his breath.

"MUTSU!" He shouted just as the water nearly reached the top, his words making the water bubble at the corners of his mouth. "MUTSU! Please help me! PLEASE!"

The rich kid was now completely submerged, holding his breath in his air-puffed cheeks as he pinched his nose. The blood oozing from his wounds clouded the water more and more. He wasn't going to be able to last much longer.

_C'mon Shiina, please! _She panicked, internally. _We have to save him! I'll never be able to look my brother in the eye again if we don't!_

**XXXXXX**

The pretty boy's clothes were now entirely drenched. It was a wonder how Shiina was still standing, let alone firmly clenching the flashlight in his numbing grasp.

Then, a miracle happened. The light grazed over a combination written in red, and the final two digits were 19-19. "I f-found it, Yukari. The c-c-c-combination is 00-02-01-19-19!"

_*Hiss_

The final layer of moisture rained down upon his dainty stature. He collapsed to his hands and knees, his strength almost entirely drained from his body. This was it. If this wasn't the right combination, Shiina's efforts would have been all for nothing.

**XXXXXX**

Without hesitation, Yukari rushed to the padlock and entered the verse. _Please let it be right. Please let it be right. Please let it be right. Please let it be right._

Pressing the button, a five second countdown began. "Yes! It worked!"

She backed up several feet from the makeshift underwater tomb. The explosive detonated, the surface tension of the water causing the entire casket to shatter in on itself right as Mikogami gasped down a throat-full of pinkish, blood-laced water.

The rich kid choked and gagged on the water he inhaled after being unable to hold his breath any longer. The Demon Ashikabi and Reaper Sekirei, had just saved someone's life…

"Th-thank you!" he expressed in adoration.

The mistress nodded. "You're welcome."

With Hayato now saved, Yukari made a beeline towards the cubicle as Mikogami struggled to his feet, using a nearby desk to help regain his stature. The spike in temperature caught her completely off guard. _Oh my God…_ she thought, huddling her arms around her body, rubbing up and down to establish friction heat. _This is what Shiina had to deal with…?_

If it hadn't been for the flashlight's beam, she most likely would have never noticed her pretty boy sitting on the floor hunched over by the wall, uncontrollably trembling as he wheezed in the paralyzing cold.

She rushed over and crouched down. Her eyes locked to his dark, exhausted gaze. The droplets of moisture and cold sweat on the pretty boy's pale, nearly blue visage and silver hair had all but frozen over. So much so that tiny icicles had begun to form on the thin strands of his hair, frost collecting on his eyelashes.

His mistress reached for his shoulders and lightly shook him. "Shiina," she began, "talk to me. Are you alright?"

The Reaper let out a weak moan. "Unghnnn…Yu-Yukari? D-d-did we d-do it?" he asked, sneezing. "Did we s-s-s-save him?"

Yukari caressed his ice-cold cheek with the gentle stroke of her hand, smiling as a single tear slithered down her cheek. "Yes, Shiina…we saved him."

"Thank God." He coughed out a few clouds of fog. "Kusano would have never forgiven me if we didn't."

"Kusano would be so proud, Shiina..." she expressed in a soft, loving whisper.

He coughed out his next words. "Yeah...I suppose she would be..."

Shiina was going into hypothermia. Yukari needed to get him out of there and someplace warm right now before it was too late.

The demonic mistress leaned in and brushed her lips against his. Shiina's wings of death emerged once again, and a decent portion of his strength returned as well. Not all of it, but enough so he could at least walk with minimal assistance.

After pulling the Reaper's soaked sweater over his head, revealing a rather ugly scar on his stomach, Yukari slung his arm over her shoulder, hoisting him back up to his feet. "Alright, Shiina, let's go." _That little brat had __**BETTER**__ be thankful!_

One small step at a time, they slowly strafed to the exit of the cubicle. The steady rise in temperature felt like a God send.

Once outside, the demonic pair took some well-deserved deep breaths.

Slouching over, Shiina turned to his mistress with a soft smile. "Well, we did it. Our nightmare is finally o-"

The Reaper faltered on his last word as they heard a frenzied shriek from behind them.

As they turned around, Mikogami rammed the demonic mistress into the wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs. As she collapsed to the ground and painfully choked, he turned his attention back to Shiina, eyes spinning wildly, face contorted in an expression that could only be called insane. He leaped at the defenseless Sekirei with a hysterical cry, slicing open the Reaper's cheek with a shard of glass he had clenched in his now bleeding right hand, tackling him to the ground shortly afterwards.

**~o~O~o~**

_"The decision of whether or not he survives falls upon you, though I implore you…to do the opposite."_

* * *

With the shard now raised above the rich craven's head, he motioned to drive it down on the pretty boy's stomach. The Reaper grasped his wrists as the shard began its swift descent. The brat snarled as his rather unimpressive frame attempted to overpower him. If it hadn't been the kiss his mistress had so lovingly administered, Shiina would have most likely been dead by now.

As the shard came closer, lowering to the scar on his belly, the Death God tearfully pleaded with him. "Please…stop…why are you doing this…?"

Mikogami simply replied, sniveling. "I'm sorry…but it's the rules…"

The rich brat was now about to land the killing blow. But none came.

Hayato screamed in agony and dropped the shard, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, hands grasping at his nether regions which had apparently been kicked by Yukari.

She jumped on top of him, rolling the brat off of Shiina and onto his back. Said Sekirei watched in horror as Yukari balled up her fist, and socked the spoiled craven across the face, knocking loose a few of the his teeth. Enraged at his ungrateful actions, she grabbed the shard he dropped, and with the strength that had earned her such infamy in the Sekirei Plan, Yukari began to stab Mikogami in the chest over and over again, her grunt-like shrieks becoming louder and more demanding every time it penetrated through his flesh, making him weakly cry and cough up blood with every elapsing strike.

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

**~o~O~o~**

**Shiina to Yukari:**_ "…You are my Ashikabi, and that means I will fight to protect you no matter what…."_

* * *

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

**~o~O~o~**

_"…As your Sekirei, I will ensure your safety, even if it costs me my life…."_

* * *

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

**~o~O~o~**

**Yukari to Mikogami:** _"…I hate your guts..."_

* * *

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

**~o~O~o~**

_"…But I won't kill you…."_

* * *

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

**~o~O~o~**

**Yukari:**_ "…We have to save him! I won't be able look my brother in the eye again if we don't!..."_

* * *

"STAY DOWN!"

**_*SQUISH!_**

Even when Mikogami finally drew his last breath and went limp, she still couldn't help but lay into him. She was too scared and enraged to stop her assault.

Her frenzied state of mind was then halted by Shiina's soft voice as he encircled his arms around her waist. "That's enough, Yukari…" he pleaded, lovingly. "It's over. He'll never hurt us or anyone else again…"

The shard slipped from his mistress' lacerated, bloodied grasp. She began to break down into tears as it clattered on the cold ground upon impact. The Demon Ashikabi wrapped her arms around the pretty boy's soaked, almost frozen brittle figure, pulling him in to her tight, albeit tender embrace with all her strength.

He held her close, head resting in the crook of her neck and shoulder.

Panting heavily in conjunction with her off-pattern heartbeat, Yukari pulled away.

She looked into Shiina's eyes, passion blazing in her twitching, bloodshot gaze. "I've had it with you always protecting me, Shiina…!" she glomped him again, tightly embracing his shirtless masculinity. "From now on, I'm gonna be the one protecting you!"

As Ashikabi and Sekirei snuggled, Shiina peered over her shoulder. Standing no more than a few yards away were two figures; one wearing a pig mask, and the other a dawning simple hood. The much shorter, hooded individual made his approach, while the lofty one just stood there in silence, arms crossed just above the waist.

Hearing the man's echoing, slowly approaching footsteps, the demonic mistress turned around, backing away with her beloved.

"Congratulations," he said, clapping his hands in unison with each step he took. Now in the light, he pulled back his hood, revealing his short-cropped blonde hair. "you've passed your test."

"D-Dr. Gordon…?" she questioned.

**~o~O~o~**

**Yukari to Shiina**: _"Where are we…?" …..… "Are we still at the doctor's office...?"_

* * *

The robed doctor crouched down to one knee, inspecting Shiina's pale visage. "He's going into hypothermia…" he concluded. "I'll need to treat him before his condition worsens."

Yukari threw herself in between the doctor and the Reaper Sekirei, encircling her arms around him, pulling him into a tighter, more protective embrace.

"Stay away from him…!" she demanded, scowling, trying to fight back shedding more tears. "You've brought us enough pain and suffering, and I'll be damned if I let you take him away from me!"

"Rest assured, Yukari, that is not my intention." He reassured her with calm composure. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. A mutual friend of ours would like to have a word with the two of you."

"And just who might that be?!" she spat.

"A person who wants to dispense justice on the man responsible for the death of #108." He stated, retaining his peaceful disposition.

"…The _MAN_ responsible?!" she bluntly remarked. "Shiina and I were there! Ku was killed by that bloodthirsty Black Sekirei, not a man!"

"Oh, I think you know who I mean, Miss Sahashi."

**~o~O~o~**

_A lone figure soaked in the landscape of his city sized prison from the top of his tower. The rain pattered against his pure, snow-white lab coat, wind blowing through his equally blinding white hair. The dry, almost calm moonlight glistened off his lenses, obscuring his maniacal glare as a psychotic burst of laughter erupted from his abdomen, sending chills through all the slumbering little birds in the concrete jungle as they prepared to soar off to their inevitable fate…_

* * *

"Tell me," the blonde doctor went on, "would you like to see your brother again?"

_Minato…! _Yukari's eyes flashed open, pupils dilating. "What the hell did you do to him?!" she shouted. "Answer me!"

"Mr. Sahashi is with us now. Don't worry, he is in safe hands, and is but simply sleeping. We have no intention of harming him." Extracting his cell from his back pocket, he flashed a still image of said individual's tranquil, slumbering visage before the Demon Ashikabi's eyes. He asked her again as she took it from his hands. "Would you like to see him?"

**~o~O~o~**

_"…Make your choice…"_

* * *

Now having no other option, Yukari handed the phone back, accepting the doctor's gesture with a reluctant sigh.

"Fine, I'll go with you…" She went on. "But if anything happens to Shiina or my brother, I'll sooner kill this "mutual friend" of ours, rather than speak to him."

"I appreciate your cooperation," he said, flipping his cell phone closed and pocketing it again. "He will be more than delighted to finally meet the both of you."

The pretty boy finally broke his silence as the selective mute tossed a scruffy dark blue blue blanket over to him. "Wh-where are you t-taking us?"

"Someplace warmer…" The doctor said as Yukari wrapped the blanket around her pretty boy's cold, clammy flesh. "…much warmer…"

* * *

**_12 Days Prior to Minato's Trials…_**

Dusting off his brown fedora, Saito crouched to inspect the fresh puddle of blood once more. Owner of said puddle had apparently been dragged from its origin, as a crudely smeared trail of water and ripened bodily fluids led out from the claustrophobic confinement's only exit. However, there was no body to be found. The trail went cold just a few feet down the hallway.

Dozens of glass shards littered the soaked floor of the crime scene, many of which were riffled beneath and scrounged around a metallic skeletal outline reminiscent that of a cheaply made casket.

A glass container placed over a large hunk of jagged bulletproof glass eerily close to the pool of ripened bodily fluids labeled it as forensic evidence. Given its close proximity to where the victim had apparently been slain, and the fact that its outer edges were coated in a thick layer of gore, it was safe to assume that it played some role in the struggle.

The portly detective tilted his head, drawing his sights to his long-time friend and colleague, a veteran forensic scientist by the name of Shouta Shiro. They had worked together for nearly ten of their twenty-five year-long careers, solving hundreds of cases side by side over the course of their relationship.

"Well, Shiro," Saito began, "what have we found?"

Wiping off his glasses with a fresh pair of medical gloves, Shiro gave his report. "Not much to say now really," he said. "From the looks of things, the blood has only been here for around seventeen hours. All we can do now is bring a sample to the lab and run some testing."

"Hmph," Saito grunted, rising to his feet and flipping the fedora back on his brown crew-cut. "Guess we have a long night ahead of ourselves, then."

"Sir!" called out one of his newer associates, Akio Densuke, a recent and overly enthusiastic law school graduate. He rushed out of the frozen cubicle, nearly stumbling over his own excitement. "I found this tape in a VCR! It was hidden in one of the walls!"

"Goddammit, kid!" Saito sourly expressed, regurgitating his displeasure. "How many _**FUCKIN'**_ times do I have to tell you? Put on a pair of gloves before you touch anything!"

"Oooohhhh…shhhhit," he stammered, regret secreting through his dumbfounded expression. "um…my bad…"

"Ugh, never mind," Saito muttered, rolling his eyes. "Did you attempt to play it?"

"Uhh….no."

The veteran detective inhaled heavily through his nostrils, exhaling as he slid his latex gloved hand down his face_._

_The sky is blue…the grass is green…_ He reminisced, grumbling as he pinched his nose. "Hand it here."

The newbie complied, darting his discomforted pupils away from his superior.

He opened the top, and found that the ribbon had been cut in two. "Please tell me it was like this _BEFORE_ you pulled it from the VCR…"

"I…didn't really check…"

Annoyed and unamused, Saito slapped his face, swaying his head in disbelief. "Please go home, kid. And when you come back, make sure to bring your brain next time."

With a saddened sigh, the clumsy kid nodded. "Yes sir…"

And with that, he left the crime scene, exiting through the yellow police tape.

Saito looked to the heavens shortly after he left, hands firmly slapped to his sides. "God, save me from these fuckin' rookies…" _How the hell did this kid graduate from law school…?_

He was then met with a strong pat on the back by Shiro. "Heh heh, life is never too easy, now is it, Fukushima?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Let me bag the tape for you." Shiro elevated his thumb over his shoulder. "I believe #87 found something that might be of interest to you. You should speak with her."

He handed Shiro the tape. "Will do."

Normally, a member of the Discipline Squad would have accompanied Saito and his task force on their more delicate operations just in case shit was to go down. For some strange reason though, the Squad, as well as their rather flamboyant Ashikabi, Natsuo Ichinomi, hadn't been heard from at all in the past two days and were reported missing no more than sixteen hours ago.

This, thankfully, was not public knowledge, as if word were to get out about it, escape attempts would be mercilessly more frequent and chaotic. Granted, Saito wasn't a fan of their brutal methods when it came to keeping order, but it did keep things peaceful for the most part, in his eyes at least.

He'd worked a many good times with the three of them, #104, Haihane, in particular. He found her to be the most tolerable, as she kept quiet and focused on the task at hand for the most part. If only she weren't so damn forgetful…

The other two were the exact opposite in his mind. #105, Benitsubasa, or "The Basa-Bitch" as he liked to call her under his breath, was too snarky and cocky for her own good. Her self-centered and immature attitude was equivalent to audio castration. Her constant caustic bitchiness really cut deep into his ever growing annoyance, and coupling that with all the pin-headed rookies he's had to deal with over the past few months didn't help matters either.

#04, Karasuba, was…well…let's just say she enjoyed being around the crime scenes **_too much _**and leave it at that.

Kaho, or Sekirei #87, was crouched at the wall alongside two other investigators, eyeing something that was not really noticeable from the distance Saito was standing at.

Kaho was the Sekirei of Saito's half-cousin, Oosumi Orihiko. Said Ashikabi had always tried to assist him in any way possible, and given the circumstances with the now-vanished Discipline Squad, he was more than willing to allow Kaho to take their place for the time being. That, and given #87's strong desire to fight their feared and respected leader, she was more willing to help in hopes of finding her.

The two investigators walked off once Saito hunkered down to her just as she turned to face him. "Ah, #87, Shiro said something about you finding something of importance?"

She nodded, pointing her latex gloved finger at the object of interest; a peephole. "Take a look."

Saito complied, and peered into the hole. Inside, all he could see was a chair, and a cassette player resting on the seat.

"Someone was watching the events of the struggle take place through this peephole," she concluded. "Convenient that it was drilled in just the right spot, so whoever was looking through it could watch the inevitable bloodbath."

He pulled away from the eyehole, glancing over his shoulder at the crime scene. Sure enough, the hole lined up perfectly with everything of interest. The casket…the pool of blood…everything…

"Any way we can get in there?" he asked, turning back to his cousin's beloved.

She shook her head. "Not without breaking the wall down. Whoever was there must have locked up the passage leading to it, since I had those two look who were with me look for any clue as to how we can get in." Rising to her feet, she reached over her shoulder grasping at the hilt of her weapon of choice; a naginata. "Just give me the word, and I'll knock down the wall for you."

"Finally somebody who actually consults me before doing something they might regret!" Saito expressed in relieved satisfaction.

He motioned his hand to call one of his fellow colleagues over. "You," he addressed the young man, "use that scanner of yours to detect any evidence on the wall. We gotta knock it down, and I'd rather not lose any more potential evidence."

The man saluted. "Right away, Mr. Fukushima!"

A luminous purple line swept up and down the stone wall a few times. Moments later, he pulled it away and inspected the results.

"Find anything?" he asked.

"It's clear."

Saito shifted his attention back to Kaho. "You head him, #87. Do it."

"Certainly, my friend."

She reached behind her, grasping the pole of her naginata.

"Please stand back, Fukushima-san." She said, slowly drawing it into tenure.

Saito and his task force backed up several feet to license the honor-driven Sekirei some much needed space.

Kaho clamped her eyes shut, filling her lungs with a deep breath before focusing her sights on the wall. Twirling her weapon, she raised it above her head, the spinning escalating in speed until it was fast enough to rival that of a helicopter's rotary blades. With a vocal grunt, #87 slammed the hilt of her weapon into the ground at full force without warning, sending a shockwave rippling throughout the room. Said shockwave wasn't really all that powerful, only slightly on par with a swift gust of wind.

Letting out a relaxed sigh, she brought the elegant armament to her side, standing it next to her. A few seconds later, the wall gave way, crumbling down just inches from her feet.

Saito approached. "Thanks, Kaho, but was all the flamboyance _REALLY _necessary?"

"It was. If I hadn't done that, we would have risked the wall falling upon any evidence which may have been inside," she explained. "What I did was channel my energies in such a way that the wall would fall outward, rather than inward, thus preventing such a thing from happening."

"Ah, I see." _Sekirei…always finding some excuse to flaunt and show off their powers...Typical._

Given the darkness of the hidden room when they glanced through the hole, neither Saito nor Kaho were able to notice that the tape recorder was on the lap an eerily creepy white-faced marionette with red swirls painted on its prominent cheeks, it's dark clothing blended in with that of the room's pitch black tone.

Saito reached his hand out to grab the tape, and was met with an infantile giggle erupting from the doll's clicking mouth as he inched closer. Slightly startled, he leapt back. Kaho poked the mannequin with the blunt end of her weapon to make sure touching it was safe. After three pokes, she swiftly swiped the tape from the puppet's classy trousers. Nothing happened. She handed the tape player to Saito, who opened its compartment. No tape was inside.

"Huh…" he sighed. "Why go through the trouble of hiding a tape recorder here if no message was in it to begin with…?"

Shiro approached once more, handing the portly detective a cassette tape contained in a zip-sealed plastic bag. "I found this buried under some of the broken glass while you and Kaho were speaking." He said. "It was inside another one of those tape recorders, but the damn thing's fried, no doubt thanks to the water seeping through its circuits."

"Thanks, my friend." He takes the tape from his hands. "Perhaps this will give us a better grasp on what's happened…"

He snapped the cassette inside and pressed the play button.

**~o~O~o~**

Hayato Mikogami struggled to his feet as the Sahashi girl raced off to help #107, still spitting out water and occasional bits of vomit. The two might expect money from him, and Mutsu, being the honorable, chivalrous Sekirei that he was, would probably pressure him into repaying them. Not that it was too much of a problem: money was something he had in abundance, and a modest, or maybe even slightly large, monetary compensation for saving his life would be a reasonable method of gratitude.

Suddenly, he became aware of a slight level of heaviness on his right side. There was something in his pocket? Reaching into it, Mikogami was surprised when he pulled out a small cassette tape, damp from his time in the glass box, but appearing to be functional. Two words:** Left Drawer** were written on it in black, he approaced it and pulled it open. Inside was a tape recorder, obviously meant for him. He pressed the "Play" button.

_"Hello, Mikogami,"_ a raspy voice, which Mikogami recognized as the same one from that marionette, said._ "If you are hearing this, then Yukari and Shiina have completed their game, and gave you another chance at life. However, now that their game is over, yours now begins."_

_My game?_ Mikogami wondered. What was the voice talking about...and why was he feeling so light-headed right now? He felt cramps, and he was starting to shake all over. He felt like vomiting, like evacuating his bowels, like emptying his bladder..._all at the same time! _What was this? A side effect from his near-death experience?!

_"I am sure you have been feeling rather angst-ridden and nauseated. Cramped…light-headed…stressed, even. You may have written this off as simply a…biological response to the life-threatening situation you were in moments ago, but that is only half true. These symptoms are also a side-effect of a slow-acting nerve agent coursing through your veins, which can kill within two hours."_

_I've been poisoned?! _Mikogami wanted to scream, but no words or sounds left his mouth as he continued to listen to the dooming tape.

_"It was administered to you an hour and forty-five minutes ago. Given the fact that there is no hospital close by which can treat you in time, you are all but doomed to die here. However, I have taken the incentive to hide one vial of the antidote somewhere in this room with you. I have left you a single picture inside the desk you saw right after you picked up this cassette player, hinting as to where it can be found. Better find it quickly, though, as your organs will begin to liquefy in a matter of minutes. Live or die, the choice…is yours…"_

* * *

The tape's inner workings then hummed to a sudden halt.

"So this sick fuck thinks this kinda shit is all a game, huh?" Saito remarked, slanting his eyebrows.

"Looks like it," Shiro added. "The Demon Ashikabi, Death Sekirei, and Ashikabi of the South…all swiped out from under our noses…damn…"

"You didn't happen to find this picture the guy was talking about, did you?"

Another associate approached. "He didn't, but I did."

He handed Saito the photo: an x-ray of someone's body. A vial was inside the stomach. At the bottom of the photograph read the name of said individual: Sekirei #107, Shiina.

"Hmph," Shiro exhaled. "I guess this explains the mess."

"That it does," Saito agreed. "And given the fact that #05 suddenly dropped dead the other day, I guess we know who won…"

He continued. "Has anyone heard from the Demon/Death duo in the past day?"

"Not at all," Shiro replied. "The last time they were heard from was when they went to a clinic on the other side of the city yesterday morning."

Slumping his shoulders, the detective blew a heavy sigh through his tight, cracked lips. "Great, now we have four Ashikabi's missing in action." He reached for his cellphone. "Better let the families know. Miss Takami and The Game Master aren't going to be happy about this…"

"What about #07?" Shiro asked. "Even though she wasn't winged by him, she needs to be notified about her Mikogami as soon as possible."

"I'll personally pay the poor girl a visit right now. Shiro, I'm entrusting you take charge of our investigation for the time being."

Shiro nodded. "You can count on me."

"I'll go with you," Kaho stated. "Given her status as a discarded number, who knows how unstable her mind will become after hearing the news?"

Saito patted her on the shoulder just as he dialed MBI. "Thanks, kid. I'm glad I have someone I can count on watching my back…"

She bowed her head slightly. "The pleasure is all mine, Fukushima-san. I would be honored."

Side by side, they trotted off down the hall. Saito raised the phone to his ear, the dial-tone clearing.

"Miss Takami, I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **So as you can see, this chapter required some suspension of disbelief (just like the source material the fic is based on, come to think of it). If you're wondering why Yukari has knowledge of The Bible, I felt that since the Sahashi's are extremely intelligent in their own right, some may hold knowledge that isn't widely known to others. That, and I figured "Hey, since I had Minato research Jigsaw during his exams, why couldn't Yukari study The Bible in her English literature courses?"

I know, it feels like plot convenience, and for that, I do apologize. I try to avoid that shit as much as possible. Considering you guys have waited long enough for this installment, though, I'll leave this chapter as is for now, and most likely re-work it later on to suit my tastes.

The good news is that the second half of this chapter is finished, but I won't upload it for ten days...

However, if I get 10 individual reviews on this story, each from from members of this site before then (anonymous reviews don't count. Sorry :P), I will upload it immediately.

So yes, I want to play a game. lulz

Don't take this as me holding the chapter hostage or anything, as I do fully intend on uploading it regardless of the reviews I get. I'll just post it sooner if I get ten reviews before those ten days are up.

Here are my co-author's closing comments:

**pyromania101:** _"I came up with the Bible verse thing. It just popped into my head, especially since forgiveness is the central theme in Saw games involving a person's virtually free-made decision whether or not he/she wants to show mercy."_

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **_"Originally, I made this Game out to be highly more complicated and dangerous, but for some reason we all decided to simplify it. That's fine by me. More people to kill later, and more time to update my solo works. You will soon here of me and my funny little games."_

**Phen0m20: **As always, we hope to see you all in the next chapter. And don't worry, if this wasn't particularly to your liking, I'm sure the next part will make up for it. That said, take care.


	5. First Blood

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback.

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20:** Hello once again, everyone. As I mentioned earlier, given the previous chapter's length, I had to split it up into two parts.

Looks like 10 days have passed and I've only acquired 8 of the 10 reviews I asked for since the last chapter was posted.

_**slides door shut**** "GAME OVER!"**_ :P lol

With everything taken into consideration, I believe this may be the best chapter we have yet to release, simply because of how goddamn fun it was to write. I certainly had more fun with this part than the previous, as the Yukari/Mikogami game was a concept that originated from CK & pyro's minds and wasn't something I was as emotionally attached to like my own original concepts (case in point: Minato & Benitsubasa's trials). It's their interactions which IMO have made this fic so far.

So yes, this chapter will mainly focus on that aspect, and I am more than happy by the way it turned out in the end.

Here are some of the other author's comments:

**pyromania101: **_"Read and review, God damn it!"_

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **_"I wrote a portion of the installment a very long time ago. I am astronomically excited that it is finally in the light of day"_

**Phen0m20:** It's time to start our game...

* * *

**First Blood**

**4:27:18…4:27:17…4:27:16…**

Minato nodded at Benitsubasa's gesture, inserting his key into the lock and turning it. Side by side, the unlikely allies pushed the door open little by little, its weight hindering the pair to grunt and utilize some of their inner strength to do so. Such a thing came natural to the pink-haired fist-type, as she had more than enough experience with power lifting…though more often than not, she had her Sekirei abilities assist in such matters. Minato didn't really struggle on his end, per-se, but it was quite clear that he was following Benitsubasa's lead.

With the door now open, they let out a collective sigh and focused on their surroundings, or what they could see more or less. The room was darker than the corridor they came in through, but the glow-in-the-dark paint smeared on the door did illuminate it somewhat. Even so, they could barely make out the large cylinder which stood erect about ten feet into the air at the somber chamber's center.

Minato called out to the Red Sekirei as she took her first few steps into the room. "Benitsubasa, wait!"

She replied, halting her footsteps, but not turning around, "Yeah, what is it?"

"Before you go any further from the door, let me take our keys back first," he emphasized. "We might need them again later on."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she catechized, impolitely. "Take them and get your ass in here!"

The vexation manifesting in Minato's pupils rolled in a semi-circle._ Yes, ma'am…!_

Removing the keys, he crossed the threshold and stopped beside her. The door then suddenly slammed shut and sealed itself behind them as Minato handed his spunky, anger-prone ally her respective key. The weight of its omnipresent echo boomed through their eardrums.

They both veered their heads towards the door for a brief moment.

Unsurprised, Minato turned his attention back to the Red Sekirei. "See, told you."

In a huff, she swiped the key from his hand. "Hmph, don't get cocky with me, Minato, or you'll have a lot more to cry about than my boot print on your face."

"Hmph; Noted," he said through his tight lips, eyes slanting.

**_*BZZZT!_**

The loud, blaring static drew a gasp of shock from the ronin and #105. They immediately spun around, taking a few steps back from the flat screen monitor hanging above. In moments, they were greeted by a familiar face as the static frittered from existence and the picture came to focus.

_"Hello, and welcome to your first teamwork trial." _The hellish, alto voiced demon doll addressed in its usual eerie, yet polite greeting. _"As this test will be the first of many you will have to endure as a unit, the both of you must learn to establish between one another the most important factor of an effective team: trust."_

**_*Ping…!_**

Their heads jerked to the ceiling. Stretched from one wall to the other, a row of fluorescent lights pinged to a flickering coruscating prominence. Their bewildered eyes wandered over the illuminating rods of light; minds absorbing the scripture of the rafter's immense height.

**_*Ping…!_**

**_*Ping…!_**

At two second intervals, more rows flickered on; their guises following in succession the deeper they went. The buzzing elevated to a loud hum which became more and more prominent and audible with each passing sequence. It was clear that the building hadn't seen proper maintenance in years; many sparked and fizzled out as the room became brighter and brighter; some even exploded upon activation.

**_*Ping…!_**

**_*Ping…!_**

**_*Ping…!_**

**_*Ping…!_**

With the pure-white concrete test chamber now lambent, the two could now see that it was large enough to house a decent-sized basketball court, and the freakishly high ceiling more than compensated for it. Said ceiling was high enough for them to easily peer over the larger, cylindrical structure at the center, and at a good portion of the wall on the other side.

The aforementioned structure had a staircase encircling its rotunda, which led to a makeshift cement patio at the top, easily confirming it playing a role in the game they were to now partake in.

The pale-faced marionette continued:

_"The structure before you will assist you both in attaining this knowledge. At the bottom of this silo, is a key, which can be used to unlock the door on the opposite side of the room. The opening to the tank, however, is sealed shut. Minato, in order to access the murky salt water which awaits you and retrieve the key, Benitsubasa must use her shoulders and upper body strength and hold up the lever alongside the entrance to open the hatch."_

_"Don't worry, Mr. Sahashi," t_he doll reassured him._ "There are no hostile life-forms waiting for you inside, and the collar you are wearing is water proof. I assure you it will not trigger unless you purposely try to remove it. The catch, though, is that once the lever is lifted, it must not be released for the remainder of the test. Doing so will result in the tank sealing shut permanently, leaving the occupant inside trapped and doomed to drown. Holding up the lever will be easier said than done, however, as for every ten seconds that pass, fifteen pounds will be added to its current weight of eight pounds. It will continuously build up until the counter reaches its maximum capacity of 666. Given that this is a game, Benitsubasa is prohibited from using her powers to assist in the matter, and must make due with her human-tier stamina…"_

It went on:

_"…If this method comes off as too risky for the both of you to partake in, there is yet another option. Above the door leading to your next test is a timer set at one hour. The moment this recording ends, it will begin to count down. Once it expires, the door will open, and you may proceed onward to the next test. Time is precious, however, so I highly advise against this option if you truly want to earn back your loved ones. Will you learn to trust one another in time to save the lives of those you hold dear? Or will they pay the ultimate price for a lack of cooperation? Make your choices, and make them quickly."_

**_*…Fzzzzzt…zzzt…!_**

Their adviser faded into the upheaving excess of static; the monitor blackened.

Minato stepped towards the silo-like structure, examining its cement-supported aluminum with his hands.

"So," Benitsubasa began, voice echoing, "should we start the test?"

"Not yet," he declared.

He shimmered a glance over his shoulder. "I want to take a look around first. Get a full grasp on what we're dealing with before we start the game."

His eyes drifted to the top of the silo. "Let's head up the stairs first." He grabbed onto the railing. "See what's in store for us."

Choosing to remain silent, she nodded her approval.

The second-year ronin hiked up the spiraling steps; Benitsubasa followed shortly behind. The heat of the radiant fluorescent lighting ripened stronger the further the ventured. Once at the top, the two marveled at the lever –the tool which was to test their mutual assurance in each other.

Shaped like a wishbone, the lever slightly resembled that of a shoulder press machine one would find in an athletic recreation center. At its central black mass, a distinct pure white skull stood out; Minato felt all the more intimidated. This was either going to be by far their easiest test -given its simple nature, or the most stressful -considering that Minato's life would be in the hands of Benitsubasa, a Sekirei notorious for her temper, as well as holding grudges. The fact that she tried to kill him multiple times over didn't help matters either, seeing that the game will leave him vulnerable to the potentially vengeful rival.

Crossing his arms, he leaned over the railing, his line of sight occupied on the timer nailed above the opposite door, watching it tick down the seconds as he contemplated their next move.

Crouched down at the sealed entrance the ronin must eventually breach, the Red Sekirei glided her fingertips along its smooth, solid cement texture. If she were granted, Benitsubasa could crack the entire thing open like a walnut with one swift, hard shot to its weak point.

She peered over her shoulder at the perceptive ronin, his mind's sophisticated aptitude still deep in cogitation.

She spoke in an unusual soft tone. "Minato?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Out of all the Sekirei you've winged…which one've you fucked the most?"

The ronin tensed up for a brief moment before pivoting and lurching back into the railing.

His voice cracked. "C-c-c-come again?!" he stuttered, unsure whether his mind were playing tricks on him.

"I'd bet my money on boobsy, #88. The way you held the ditz's naked body during the bridge escape _more_ than shows how much you favor her over the others."

"I-I-I don't favor her over anybody!" he shot back, voice flinching. "I treat all of my Sekirei as equals!"

"…or perhaps you like tapping that ye-olde aqua-wench that clings to your arm like a parasite so much," she went on.

His blush was now pulsing redder than a ripened tomato. "I-Is this really the proper time to talk about this?!"

"Tell me," she asked, eyes slanting as a sly smirk crept over her moistened lips. "…how often does she wet the bed…?"

He now started yammering out the first things which popped into his head.

"N-n-never! She never wets the bed! Not with her powers, or…the other way! In fact, I never slept with just one of my Sekirei!" He tensed up again, slamming his eyes shut. **"We all sleep together!"**

**_TOGETHER_**_…__**Together**__…__**together**__…together…_

The word echoed throughout the soundproof corridor.

Gasping, Minato clapped both hands over his mouth in an instant, immediately regretting what he had just blurted out in heat of the moment. But alas, it was too late. He was never apt at handling himself well when being pressured or put on the spot, but this could quite possibly be the most embarrassing moment he's yet to experience.

#105 blinked a few times, responding with a hearty chuckle. "Woooooow…"

"F-forget I said anything!"

"And here I thought you were some pussified wimp with no sense of his masculinity, but _DAMN_!"

"I-I-It's not what you think, I swear!" he clamored in desperation. "We've slept together, but nothing ever happened, I assure you!"

The Red Sekirei rose to her feet. "Bullshit…"

With an amble pace, she strode towards him; the jumpy ronin continued to back away until he was leaning over the edge of the railing.

Her fists firmly planted to her hips, Red leaned in until she was but mere inches from the ronin's now sweating visage, her squinted gaze locked to his anxious pupils. "…you're lying."

"No I'm not, I swear!" he answered, raising his trembling hands. "In fact, I've never done it with anybody…ever!"

"What d'you mean you're still a virgin?!" Benitsubasa chastised in loud disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you've got all these sexy ladies living with you, **_including_** that wind slut, and you've never banged any of 'em?! How can you call yourself a man?!"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to! Th-the landlady would have my head!"

Raising an eyebrow, she slumped her shoulders, tongue in cheek. "A killer landlady…? Suuure…now I know you're bullshitting."

"Goddammit…" he grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I don't need this..."

"Hey!" #105 barked as he neared the staircase. "Just where the hell d'you think you're going?!"

"Gonna check to see if my key works on the locked door," he disclosed. "Wouldn't be smart to start the game without testing every viable option."

"Hmph, well if that's the case," she reached into her pocket. "try mine out too while you're at it." She flicked it to him, underhanded.

He caught it. "Thanks."

_He's…a virgin… _She reflected, pinching the bridge of her nose, wavering her head left to right. _…and just when you think the kid can't get any more fucking pathetic…_

_*sigh_

**XXXXXX**

Unbeknownst to the trial's participants, twenty feet above was a window overlooking their game. On the other side, a tower of a man dominated its height. Garbed in a blood-spattered pitch-black robe, the observer eclipsed the tiled canvas at 6'8, dragging the blade of his oversized Ka-Bar fighting knife along a metal sharpening stick as if he were preparing to carve the ronin's heart out of his very ribcage.

His face was hidden by the oh-so-familiar pig mask with thick unkempt hair the two had come to know and love as of late. No part of his true body could be seen; even his hands were smothered by burly black leather gloves.

As he looked down at them, he could tell that the duo was just below the line of pathetic. He wasn't sure if they could hear the scraping, but then again he didn't care. They would meet him soon enough…

**~o~O~o~**

**_14 Days Prior to Minato's Trials…_**

**_-Two hours after Karasuba's departure-_**

"I don't like this…" Gordon said, observing the hired muscle sharpen a jejune hunting knife in the next room. Thankfully for the Doctor, he was out of earshot.

His massive frame was rooted to a wooden desk, legs propped up by a more fortunate chair; the selective mute rotated the dull blade with slow twirls of the wrist, staring at his swine reflection in the glinting steel. Even though he was safe from the menacing public's prying eyes, he still chose to wear his pitch black wrestling robe and gruesome pig mask.

_"And why's that?"_ John asked. _"I rather like him. Smart… strong…worthy of his privileged life."_

"Easy," the doc answered. "He makes Hoffman look like an angelic school boy."

Despite all he had seen and done, Dr. Gordon was frightened by the man sitting across the monitor room from them. He answered only to John, and was muscular, yet somewhat wiry; his limbs were a few inches longer than they should have been. Besides his physical stature, Gordon knew nothing about him other than three things: he was incredibly pale, his voice was so strained and raspy that it sounded like a straight-razor being dragged along a flint-rock, and he answered to the autonym "Mathis". Whether that was his real name or just an alias was a mystery to him. Even then, the only reason he knew this vague knowledge was because John informed him of it. Whenever this guy was around, he felt uneasy.

_"Nobody but Karasuba could do that, Lawrence,"_ John answered back. _"Have more faith in your friends."_

The door then slowly creaked itself open. Crossing his legs, John orbited in his swivel chair as his most recent subject, Karasuba , stepped inside, her contract's unconscious body slung over her shoulder.

_"Speak of the devil…"_

With her free hand, she peeled off her pig mask, flopping it down on the table as she gained entrée and kicking the door shut behind her.

"I did as you asked," she said, dawning a disturbing, though genuine simper. "Mu-chan's Ashikabi is all yours. No scratches, torn clothes, witnesses, anything."

_"Very good," _John replied with a stoic nod of approval.

He turned his attention back to Gordon. _"See, Lawrence? I told you she would play by the rules."_

"So," Karasuba interjected, eyes narrowed, "where should I put him?"

_"There is no need for that, Karasuba," _The aging rehabilitator said. _"My…field general, shall take care of that matter for you."_

Her slender silver brow arched upwards at the statement. "Field general, eh…?"

_"Yes, I believe it's about time for you two to become more…acquainted…"_

He glanced into the next room. _"Mr. Mathis, our expected guest has arrived."_

The One They Call Mathis halted the sharpening and sat there motionless like a statue for a long moment. He then tossed the stone aside and rolled up his left sleeve. Inside was a leather holster for his blade, which he slid the newly re-purposed hunting knife into before unraveling the thick fabric of his garbs to camouflage his arm. He kicked the chair away and pushed himself off the wooden bureau, its legs creaking and splintering as he regained his hulking stature.

The doctor backed away with a slow pace to keep his distance, but the intrigue festering in Karasuba's cold gaze grew stronger with each loud, heavy step he took as he trudged into the room. Not even turning his head to acknowledge the Black Sekirei's presence, The One They Call Mathis hunched his head down at a slight incline. Like a redwood, he just stood there in immovable silence towering over everybody. It was as if he would just stand there motionless for days on end, biding for further orders.

_"Would you be so kind as to bring Mr. Sahashi to his quarters?" _John requested, unnerved by his freakish presence._ "I'm afraid he will be rather…unresponsive for the time being."_

The One They Call Mathis acknowledged his aging superior's command with a slight nod.

The Black Sekirei stood her ground as he motioned to face her. Starting at the chest, she analyzed the man's mammoth masculinity. Her gawking eyes drifted down to his feet in a slow sweeping descent and elevated to the "cute" pig mask he wore, his size and close proximity forcing her to elevate her chin a considerable height. He was built like a brick wall…if it were encased in cement and concrete. Dr. Gordon was smart to fear him.

For a long moment, they just stood there, respecting each others' mutual ground. A cynical smirk crept over her unctuous lips as he extended his arms to accept the slumbering ronin.

An abundance of lassitude oozed from Karasuba's tiger stripe lacerations as she shattered the silence in a visceral tone. "You're not one for small talk, are you?"

She reached for the tuska of her nodachi, encompassing her galloping knuckles around its rough texture; her sclerotic grip intensified. She withdrew the flesh-starved blade from its chrysalis with a languid, gradual tug, savoring the sharp song of the ravenous steel slipping out from its sheathed confinement inch by inch; centimeter by centimeter.

The One They Call Mathis simply kept silent, but John's fecund glare narrowed and his hushed voice immediately escalated into something more hoarse and didactic._ "Put. __**It. **__**AWAY.**__"_

Before she could extract it another inch, the baleful Black Sekirei paused, clamping her thin eyelids shut.

"Hmph," she scoffed, drawing back her weapon, sliding it back to its dark isolation. "…very well."

She hoisted the ronin off her shoulder, laying him in the field general's abnormally long arms. His dead weight didn't even register to him.

As he turned away and lumbered off with the Sahashi youth, Karasuba humored him just as he approached the archway.

"Heh, we should spar sometime."

The One They Call Mathis recessed his footsteps, seemingly to consider her offer. Then, without a word, he tromped his way down the brightened hallway.

_No fear in his body language…_ She internally murmured; a bloodthirsty grimace painted on her scarred, minatory visage._ …things just keep getting more and more intriguing…_

"Are you sure the kid's safe with him?" Dr. Gordon questioned in a nervous tone.

_"Of course," _John reassured him. _"He likes to put on a show, and stopping the games before they have a chance to begin would bore him… vastly."_

With a kick, he rolled over to his desk and pulls open one of the drawers. _"Now…"_

He extracts a sealed package, his thumb obscuring the individual intended for delivery. _"Would you kindly deliver this to the inn after midnight strikes?" _he requested._ "I'm sure the resident in question will find its contents…more…than enlightening."_

He accepted his gesture. "I'd be more than happy to, John."

He slung the box under his arm and walks off down the hallway, opposite that of the field general.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take care of it?" Karasuba questioned.

_"I'm sure," h_e emphasized. _"Given your repulsive actions against them, if #01 or any of her residents were to spot you by chance, our efforts would have been all for nothing."_

"Hmph," she sneered. "I'm **_more_** than capable of handling myself against those weaklings."

_"I don't doubt your ability, Karasuba; I doubt your judgment."_

_"Besides," _he continued. _"I still need to inform you on some of the…finer details of my motivations __**and **__your game before I entrust you with anything else…"_

"Is that so?" she asked, pulling up a chair and reclining into it.

She crossed her legs. "If that's the case, then I'm all ears…

She smirked. "…Ashikabi-sama."

A snarl distorted John's smooth, dry lips_. "Do __**not**__. Call. Me that."_

* * *

**_*Scrape…_**

**_*Scrape…_**

**_*Scrape…_**

**_*Scrape…_**

**XXXXXX**

**4:19:51…4:19:50…4:19:49…**

"C'mon, Minato!" Benitsubasa spat, her flat chest hunched over the rusted railing. "We've already searched the place inside and out! Get up here, or I'll knock you flat on your ass and drag you up here!"

"I'll be up in a minute! There's just one more thing I nee-"

"Don't make me jump over this railing, Minato!" she interrupted with a more threatening and intense bark. "I won't be gentle! I'll make it my effort to ensure your head bounces off each one of these steps on the way up!"

He puffed out a sigh. "Alright, alright, fine!" _What was this trial about, again…? Trust?_

For the past five minutes, Minato and the Red Sekirei wandered about the test chamber, seeking for any alternative means of opening the door and completing the task awaiting them, or at least make it somewhat easier for them to partake in.

Benitsubasa, however, knew right from the word go that if the two keys didn't work, there were no other means of breaking through it. That, and besides the central structure, the room was completely barren. But she went along with Minato's gut instincts anyway. Though she wouldn't admit it, she knew deep down Minato was an intelligent young man…even if most of what she seen did stem from his paranoia. Understandable, seeing that having a plethora of debilitating, performance-crippling wounds so early on would slow them down more in the long run than simply taking the time to plan ahead.

Cheek by jowl, the polar opposites approached the tank's entrance, eyes riveting at what may very well be Minato's final resting place.

Gulping down a mouthful of salivatory secretions, the ronin veered his head towards his judge, jury, and potential executioner with a brisk curl of the neck.

"Benitsubasa," he began. "I need to know, ca-"

"Can you trust me?" she interrupted. "Minato, I couldn't kill you now even if I wanted to. You heard Jigsaw; these tests demand teamwork, and will no doubt get harder the further we press on. If I kill you now, I can kiss any chance of saving my Ashikabi goodbye."

"I know that, but-"

She cut him off once more. "But what? The fact I tried to kill you before gotcha scared? Is that it?"

**"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT DOES!"**

The startled Red Sekirei staggered back at the ronin's sudden change in tone.

"I was hanging off the bridge by my fingertips that night, dangling hundreds of feet over the freezing cold water below; and you crushed my hand beneath your boot knowing full well that I couldn't swim!"

"Wait…you can't swim…?"

"I was screaming it at the top of my lungs while you stood over me! How can you not remember that?!"

"That #08 weirdo tossed me and Haihane half way across the border shortly afterwards, so that was really all I was able to focus on over the last few months. Everything else just slipped my mind, I guess..."

"Look," she sighed. "I told you before; I'm sorry for what I did that night. You have my word; I'm not to pull that kinda shit again..."

"Besides," she paused. "you spared my life, and for that, I owe you one."

Noticing a genuine sense of sincerity in her softer voice, he nodded a few times, curving his lips. "Alright…alright, I trust you."

"Good," she said. "So, I assume you've learned how to swim since then?"

"Nnnnot exactly…" he corrected her.

"You haven't?!" she paraphrased. "Then how the fuck are you gonna resurface with the key?!"

"Last I checked, this tank is nowhere near as deep as the body of water separating the capital from the outside world," he pointed out. "Here, I can use my legs to push myself back to the surface without much issue."

"Hmph; Point taken, I guess." She advanced towards the lever. "Well, let's get this shit over with, then."

"Hold on; don't touch the lever yet!"

"Ugh!" She groaned. "What now?!"

Turning around, she witnessed him unzip his brown jacket, tossing it aside.

Her eyes wavered back and forth in suspicion. "Uhh…what are you doing?"

"I want to go in naked."

"WHAT?!" She vociferated, conveying her sour embarrassment. "WHY?!"

"Jigsaw wants us to think his games through," he exemplified. "My intuition tells me that one of our later tests will involve electricity in some shape or form, and I doubt having wet clothes would help matters."

"Even so!" she expressed, bitterness still contorted into her visage.

**XXXXXX**

"The kid really knows when to think things through," a nodding Dr. Gordon theorized. He and John were still glued to a few feeds from the hundreds of cameras set up in the building.

_"As we have already said and established, he is smart. Very smart,"_ John replied.

The original Jigsaw leaned in to get a closer look at the monitor. _"Smart... and perhaps a little a more paranoid than we originally anticipated..."_

**XXXXXX**

"Now," the ronin tugged at his shirt collar, "can you tear my shirt off so I can safely remove it? I'd rather not pull it over my head and risk detonating the collar."

"Uh…can't you do it…?" she asked, puzzled.

"I would if I were strong enough. Even without your powers, you're still stronger than I am, so can you-"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. Jeez, do you like making yourself seem more pathetic than you look or something? Goddamn…"

With a tight grasp of the collar, Benitsubasa stretches the shirt apart with a strong tug, ripping it, and his undershirt, clean down the middle in almost an instant.

Something immediately grabbed her attention. "Whoa…"

He looked down at her. "What? What's the matter?"

"Where did you get this scar? It looks…fresh…"

"A scar…?"

**~o~O~o~**

_…the ronin reached over and grabbed the tape recorder. As he rose to his feet, he grabbed his stomach as a sharp pain originating from his mid-section sent ripples of agony throughout his body._

_He lifted his shirt as the pain dissipated; coming across a four inch incision held just below his belly button, sealed shut by a thin black wire. 'A scar...?'_

_He pressed the play button._

_"Hello, Minato. I want to play a game. So far, you have led a highly uneventful, yet respectable life…"_

* * *

"…honestly, I have no idea." He continued. "It was just…there when I woke up…"

"Huh, is that so?" Bending her knees, she rose to her feet. "Well, it looks like this test just got a hell of a lot harder for you…"

"What makes you say that?" he questioned.

"Don't you remember? That creepy mime doll said the tank was filled with salt water…_aaaaand _considering that your wound is still very much open, I doubt your little swim is gonna be very pleasant…"

_Oh crap! I forgot about that…! _"Well, even if that is the case, I'm not going to let my Sekirei down. Not them, or your Ashikabi…"

_…wow _she thought, amazed at his valor._ …is this kid determined or what…_

He slides his hands down to his belt. "Um…do you mind turning around, please?"

"Oh, uh…"She pivots to the railing, face flushing from embarrassment. "…yeah, yeah. I-It's not like I want to see your tiny virgin prick anyway…!"

With an unamused grumble, he turned his back to her, sliding his arms out of his ripped t-shirts and tossing them aside by his discarded jacket.

Hands on hips and eyes fixated to the ceiling, the impatient Red Sekirei taps her foot on the ground as she waits. _C'mon…c'mon! What's taking you so long…?_

Eyes wavering and now struck with curiosity, the blushing Benitsubasa takes a quick peek at the undressing ronin's figure. She smiled, expression softening. _Wow…ya know, he's actually kinda cute for a scrawny little guy…_

With a deep exhale, Minato huffed out his next words. "Alright, I'm ready when you are."

She nodded. "Okay."

Sekirei #105 crouches beneath the wishbone-shaped lever, situating her shoulders under its arms. Now in a comfortable position, she wrapped her forearms around their respective handles, gripping them between the crook of her elbow and hands with a strong clutch.

A small monitor adjacent to the lever popped on. Two individual digital timers were present on said monitor; one set at **_0:10_** meant to count down, the other set at **_8lbs_**, meant to count up.

With ease, The Red Sekirei hoists the bar to its apex; a buzzer goes off, and the hatch begins to divide.

The ungodly concussing and screeching it vented resided somewhere between a rusty garage door opening, and nails grinding and ripping across a chalkboard; Benitsubasa and the ronin's ears were moments from bleeding. The agitating noise left faster than it arrived, though, as the hatch only took about four seconds to part; nowhere near enough time for the ronin to dive down to the bottom and submerge.

The water inside was beyond murky and dirty; it had the all texture and transparency of melted candle wax. No sea-faring creature could hope to survive anything less than a minute in this inhospitable environment.

**_0:10…_**

**_*bleep…0:09…0:08…_**

"Timer's started, Minato." She said, taking another glimpse at his exposed backside.

She turned away, face reddening. "G-get your ass in there..."

He nodded. "I'm going."

Clamping his nose and compressing his breath, the ronin kicks himself off the patio, his light figure dropping like an anvil bored through the water's surface tension.

For a long moment, tiny air bubbles elevated to the surface, then grew in size more and more.

**_*bleep…0:01…0:00…_**

**23lbs**

Benitsubasa flinched as an extra fifteen welded down upon her shoulders, but resituates herself with relative ease. Minato resurfaces grasping at the ledge and his bleeding arm; the pints of clouded water he mercilessly choked up almost masking his intense heaving howls of agony.

His scream-filled gagging nearly caused the pink-haired fist-type to drop the lever and rush to his side.

"What happened?!" she shouted, concerned. "Are you alright?!"

"Somethin' bit me!" he screamed, still retching. "Something bit my fuckin' arm!"

"I told ya you shouldn't've taken that puppet's word for granted!" she scolded.

Still gasping, he pulls said "tooth" from the salt-laced open wound. "Goddamnit," He whips it over the tank's ledge. "there's broken glass in here!"

"Guess you didn't think there would be something non-living down there that would tear you apart, now did you?"

**_*bleep…0:01…0:00…_**

**38lbs**

She flinches again, hoisting the extra fifteen pounds back up to balance.

"Stop whining, and get back down there, dammit!" she demanded. "That wound isn't all that deep!"

He grasps at his nether regions. "I'm going!"

Taking a gasp, the ronin dunks his head and dives back down into the abyss, despite the blistering salt water ushering his already conflagrant lacerations to a more aggrandized and intense sweltering boil. The deeper he sank, the more abundant the jagged shards of glass coalesced. Minato didn't dare remove his hand from his groin, let alone open his eyes; the tank was so nubilous and foggy that it wasn't like opening them would assist anyway.

More fragments brushed up and ripped against his body, some drawing blood, most overpassing. He reached out, waving his arm back and forth as he neared the bottom. His hand grazed over more glass remnants, cutting open his thumb. The slit wasn't deep, let alone noticeable, but the salt water more than compensated for the lack of pain. He ignored it and continued to swipe away the glass in search for the key. As the ronin searched, he could hear his former rival's grunting echo throughout the water as more weight was forced upon her upper body. His efforts requiring more oxygen, the ronin crouches and kicks off the shard coated canvas, launching himself back to the top again. How his feet escaped without injury was nothing more than a miracle.

Re-submerging from the depths, he slouched over the patio and sucked in more heavy breaths for his arid lungs to ingest.

"Find anything yet?!" Benitsubasa asked in a more strained voice.

"Nothing…yet…" He replied, panting.

**_*bleep…0:01…0:00…_**

**68lbs**

**_*Agh! _**she groaned, exerting more effort to stabilize her tremblesome knees. "Well keep searching!" _Dammit, why the hell am I starting to strain myself?! _She thought in bewildering shock. _I should be stronger than this!_

"I am!" he shouted. "I'd be faster if I didn't have to worry about cutting my you-know-what!"

"Just tuck it between your legs when you get to the bottom!"

He nods. "Noted."

Watching the ronin dive back down into the unforgiving symmetrical cistern, the Red Sekirei braced herself. _Looks like I'm gonna have to concentrate harder…_

Filtering oxygen through her gnashing teeth, she heaved the bar back to its apex with a more serious degree of strength and determination. _…that's more like it…_

**_*bleep…0:01…0:00…_**

**83lbs**

More weight slammed down upon her shoulders, only this time she hadn't flinched. Straightening her spine, Benitsubasa shoved the lever back to its highpoint with gradual huffs and puffs through her flaring nostrils.

_This all you got, Jigsaw? _She internally taunted her Ashikabi's kidnapper. _This is a fuckin' walk in the park!_

Minato re-surfaced once again with more acrimonious scratches on his upper body and face. He didn't take time to talk as after another deep breath, he dived back down into the murky cistern. Benitsubasa knew he must have been in a great deal of pain, as some of his wounds did begin to swell and blister.

**_*bleep…0:01…_**

_Damn, _she thought. _does this kid have a-_

**_*bleep…0:00…_**

**98lbs**

**_*Ungh!_** -_any fuckin' threshold for pain whatsoever?!_

**XXXXXX**

"Hmm," Dr. Gordon pondered. "The hot-head seems to be struggling earlier than we originally anticipated…"

_"I agree." _John replied. _"It appears that most Sekirei rely on their powers too often to the detriment of their normal physical capabilities."_

He continued. _"They may seem like all powerful deities made flesh, but deep down, they're just as vulnerable as any other human being."_

"How long do you think she'll last?" the doctor inquired.

_"As long as her fighting spirit and love for her Ashikabi will allow her…"_

**XXXXXX**

_Dammit, __**Dammit**__, __**Dammit! **_Minato thought as he scrounged his open palms through the glass fragments. _Where the hell is this thing?!_

Panic and paranoia rushed through his burning lacerations along with copious amounts of venomous salt water. He continued to thrash and claw through the jagged particles in desperation, swishing away the brine solution and trying his hardest not to part his legs and risk castration. Holding his breath in this saline silo was becoming all the more difficult with each individual nick and cut he sustained.

Then his hand brushed over something…

It was smooth…and it's outer circumference was rigid, yet not sharp. He picked it up and rubbed his thumb over the grooved texture, coming across a sting at its end. He had found it!

The overjoyed ronin expressed a gasping smile, downing a throat-full of the nasty saliferous muck as he forgot himself. Minato grasped his neck; the key's thread mercifully draped around his hand. Without hesitation, the gagging ronin kicked off the bottom of the tank and in a hurry; his heels unfortunately, were not as lucky as the last time.

Laboring to keep a vertical balance, the weakening Red Sekirei's now-twitching gaze gawked at the now distorting and rippling water in relief. Minato had been down there for a good twenty-five seconds, and she had been expecting the worst.

Her anxiety finally dispersed as the ronin's fist broke through the surface, key clenched within.

Nauseated, the ronin lurched over the edge, puking up the remnants of rancid salt water.

"You found it!" The now alleviated Benitsubasa expressed in delight.

"Yeah," he responded, hacking up more lung-deep saline secretions. "I sure did." **_*cough *cough_**

**_*bleep…0:01…0:00…_**

**128lbs**

**_*Ergh! _**"N-now hurry up and get outta there!"

He took a few more deep breaths. "I'm…coming…"

Throwing his leg over onto the patio, Minato gradually pulled his body from the waxy liquid. Half way out, he suddenly froze, pupils gaping.

"…Wait…"

"Wh-what's wrong, Minato?" she questioned, hampered by the weight. "You have the key. Get your ass outta there!"

Remaining silent, he took a moment to ponder.

**~o~O~o~**

_"Jigsaw wants us to think his games through…"_

* * *

_…there might be more… _he thought.

"C'mon!" She screamed, breaking his train of thought. "Get up here already!"

He broke the silence, ascending the key's thread over his neck. "I'm going back in!"

"What?!" she shouted. "Why?!"

"Key might be fake!"

**_*bleep…0:01..._**

She called out to him the moment he dived down. "Hold on, wait!"

**_*bleep…0:00…_**

**143lbs**

**_*Augh! _**"Fuckin' hell!" she shouted, the weight dropping her to one knee. "Has this kid lost his goddamn mind?!"

Benitsubasa felt as though she might fall to her knees, but she held firm.

**_*bleep...00:10...00:09...00:08_**

Suddenly, Minato resurfaced.

"I couldn't find anything!" he shouted. "I'm going to go back down!"

"Are you freakin' nuts?!" Benitsubasa managed to shout while still keeping her grip on the lever. "My fucking arms are aching! I can't hold it for much longer!"

"Just trust me!"

**_*bleep...00:04...00:03  
_**  
"You stupid fuck!" she snarled. "Get out of the tank NOW!"

"No!" he shouted. "Knowing Jigsaw, he must've put two keys down there, and this one could be the fake!"

**_*bleep...00:00  
_**  
**158lbs**

Benitsubasa screamed and fell to her knees as the weight of the lever increased even more. She felt as though her arms would be ripped from their sockets at any moment.

With difficulty, she managed to shout, "Get...the fuck...out of...the TANK...NOW!"

Unfortunately, he had dived back down moments before she said that.

_He's not gonna get out… _she realized. _He's not gonna get out!..._

Sweat drained from the straining Red Sekirei's visage as the ronin's plunged deeper into the silo, emerging with more torn flesh.

He plunged, she strained, flesh tore, sweat drained.

He plunged. She strained. Flesh tore. Sweat drained.  
He plunged. She strained. Flesh tore. Sweat drained.

He plunged! She strained! Flesh tore! Sweat drained!  
He plunged! She strained! Flesh tore! Sweat drained!  
He plunged! She strained! Flesh tore! Sweat drained!

**"I!..."**

**Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!  
Plunge! Strain! Tear! Drain!**

**"CAN'T!..."**

**PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRAIN!  
PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRAIN!  
PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRAIN!  
PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRAIN!  
PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRAIN!  
PLUNGE!STRAIN!TEAR!DRDHK  
****LJAJGKLANLKJHSDJNG****KLNGK  
****LNDFGHDKNGKLSNGN****RFKLGN****  
****KNGSKF GSDNFGNSD****KLGNAJD  
NGKJRNBJNJGJ NGA****DGJFNGKL  
SFGHJDFKLSORPAJDIKIOEL!**

**"HOLD IT!..."**

**_*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!_****_*bleep!*bleep!_****_*bleep!  
*bleep!_****_*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!*bleep!_**

**"ANYMOOOORRRRRE!..."**

**_*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!  
*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!  
*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!*BLEEP!_**

**~o~O~o~**

_"…you must learn to establish between one another the most important factor of an effective team: trust."_

* * *

**_*Gasp!_**

Benitsubasa lurched out from under the spine-crushing lever, releasing it the moment Minato had at long last resurfaced for air. In one fell swoop, she dived towards the edge of the cistern as he motioned to dive back down.

With the hatch rapidly closing in, she encircled her arms around the ronin's triceps, tightening her grip as she began to pull.

"I don't think so!" she cried out in utmost umbrage. "You're not going…"

With a surprising feat of strength, she hoisted him from the repugnant saline vat a mere millisecond before it clamped shut forever. "…Anywhere!"

She fell back with him still in her still tightening grasp, landing back hard on the concrete patio. Mercifully for the Benitsubasa, she hadn't captured a glimpse of his unmentionables.

In a still frantic state of mind, Minato rolled off of her, hands cupped over his nether regions.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" he shouted, clearly shaken.

"What did I do that for?!" her anger intensified. **"WHAT DID I DO THAT FOR?!"**

She continued, ranting. "More like what the fuck were you thinking?! Do you have a fuckin' death wish or something?!"

Saliva lathered through her now-gnashing teeth. "If I hadn't let go of the lever when I did, you would have went belly-up like a goddamn goldfish! I couldn't hold that thing any longer you fucking moron!"

"You're a fist-type for God's sake!" he retorted. "This kind of labor should come easy to you!"

"Yeah, it would if I had my power's, you little limp-dick-son-of-a-bitch!" she rambled. "You had the fucking key!"

"It might have been fake!"

"Don't give me that shit, kid!" she said. "Why the fuck would there be two down there to begin with?!"

"Jigsaw wants us to think his ga-"

"Oh don't gimme that crap about games!" she interrupted. "The whole point of this trial was trust! I trusted you to get the key, just like you should have trusted me when I said it was real!"

Her hollering intensified. "Trust goes both ways you pin-headed fuckhead! In order for us to save Natsuo and your precious little boob-harem, you need to have faith in me just like I have to have faith in you to not try getting yourself killed all the time!"

Minato lowered his head and kept silent. He knew she was right. With a sigh, he conceded, "You're right. If I want you to trust me, then I need to trust you."

Now at her feet, the aching Benitsubasa whips the ronin his white t-shirt. "Now dry the fuck off! Idiot!"

Furious, she turns her back to him, crossing her arms. _Kid's lucky I'm so nice… _she thought.

Rolling her eyes, she captures a glimpse of something in the crook of her line of sight. She tilts her head towards the object of interest; a "pig-headed deadbeat" clad in black overlooking their game through a high window. _Who in the fuck-_

"Ma'am?" Minato called out as he ruffled the shirt through his sopping-wet hair, breaking her focus.

'"Yeah, what is it?" She veered her pupils back towards the window, only to find that the robed figure had disappeared. _Damn._ _Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or something?..._

"I just wanted to say thank you…for saving my life."

She answered back with a huff. "Hmph, don't mention it."

"I'm…sorry…for not trusting you earlier."

"Like I said before, you spared my life, so I owed you one." She sighed. "…And please, from now on…call me Benitsu."

"Benitsu?" he paraphrased, drying off his limbs.

"Yeah, hearing my full name repeated over and over has gotten kinda grading. It's too damn long." She said. "Besides, I think it sounds cooler than "Beni".

"What's wrong with calling you "Beni"?" asked the ronin.

"Hmph, because "Beni" sounds like shit, that's why."

"Oh," he chuckled. "heh, heh, I see…"

"This fat old detective I accompanied on some private eye shit used to call me "The Basa-Bitch" under his breath all the time. He thought I never heard him, but I heard him loud and clear." She sneered. "Old fuck was lucky I didn't cram that cheaply made brown fedora down his throat."

"What was stopping you?"

"Meh, I don't know," she replied. "The fat fuck was a reliable asset to the game master, so if I laid a hand on him, Karasuba would've probably killed me."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Hey, you almost dressed?"

"Just about," he said, dipping a leg into his jeans.

…

"Alright, I'm ready," he declared.

"Good." She turned back around, walking past him. "Now let's get the fuck out of here."

"Heh, heh." Grazing his hand along the back of his still damp hair, he answered back, "Couldn't've said it better myself."

**XXXXXX**

The One They Call Mathis observed the unlikely pair advance their way down the rotunda of steps and journey their way towards the door, their first test at long last completed.

His expectations for their degree of teamwork were only slightly exceeded, but the entertainment value was leagues better than he'd originally hoped.

Slipping the Ka-Bar back into his sleeve, The One They Call Mathis turned away and lumbered off to his next prime objective. His fun was only now beginning.

**XXXXXX**

"Are you ready to move on, Benitsu?"

"Just open the fucking door already."

_I'll take that as a yes. _Pulling the key from around his neck, Minato inserted it into the lock and turns it. After a click, the door opened.

"See, told you I was right."

"I suppose you were, but please don't get cocky with me."

"So," she began. "Do you promise to trust me from now on?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Now on the same page, side by side, the two pushed the door open and made their way down the unfamiliar corridor. But whatever awaited them in their next trial, was bound to be far more difficult.

**4:04:31…4:04:30…4:04:29…**

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **Now **_THAT'S _**how you write a Jigsaw game! The ending does seem rushed IMO, but considering the layout of the chapter as a whole, I don't think it's much of an issue. It gets the point across just fine, though knowing me, I'll edit it sometime in the future.

Heh, leave it to me to find some way to make swimming and weight lifting suspenseful and frantic. lulz

Going into this, never did I expect to find a way to use the frantic cam effect. Guess I was mistaken. :)

CK's OC Mathis was particularly fun to write, as his character is the culmination of many months of planning. I'll let CK talk about that in his A/N, though.

**By the way, I've checked out Harlequin de Rustre's fics to see if you guys left him any reviews, and he still doesn't have anymore since the last time I checked. Come on, guys, he's a quality writer who needs a lot more attention given his incredible credentials! His fics aren't that long anyway, so check him out and show him some love...**

...but not in **THAT** way...pervs. :P

Anyway, if any of you guys would like to know more about the Saw series, yet don't want to see all the graphic gore and torture, I recommend that you **check out "Welshy's Saw Retrospective" on blip tv.** The videos in question are quite lengthy, with each video review clocking in at well over 35 minutes in length, but the man is so well spoken and informed about the series that I don't find it to be an issue.

Plus, he goes out of his way to censor all the nasty gory stuff to appease the squimish, so if you're put off by vast amounts of gore and horrible bloody violence, the retrospective is something that I consider to be a great alternative if you're opposed to watching the films. It would also be much less time consuming as well.

Here are some of the other author's comments:

**pyromania101:** _"R&R, people! R&R!"_

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **_"__I am the one who created Mathis. Why? Because I can and because I'm damn good at it. His identity is derived from the DC villain The Dollmaker, whose real name is Barton Mathis."_

**Phen0m20: **Well, not much else to say besides that composing this chapter was probably the most fun I've had writing for this fic. I've read it more than 10 times now and I squee every time!

To get a better grasp on my audiences expectations, I'm going to be making two different polls regarding the characters in this fic: one asking which character you'd like to see die the most, and the other focusing on who should live. Though, unfortunately I can only post one on my profile at a time because is retarded like that. -_-

I'll start with the one asking who you'd like to see survive, then after two weeks pass, I'll post the poll asking who you want to see die.

Keep in mind, however, that this poll will not in anyway effect the outcome of the fic. The fate of everyone within is set entirely in stone. This is just to give us an idea of what your expectations and desires are. That said, we look forward to seeing your votes!

Oh, and I also plan on having some high-quality artwork commissioned for this fic, as well as my other stories "Tell Me" and "Veil of Passion" sometime in the near future.

I hope you all enjoyed this, and I look forward to more feedback from you all.

Take care.


	6. Trauma For Truth: Part 1

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback, **AND** two of said symbols side-by-side (**~o~O~o~ x** **~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback **WITHIN** a flashback.

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **O HAI , INTORNETZ. WELCOME BACK.

I would like to apologize (yet again…) for the long delay of this chapter. I've been dealing with a lot of shit in my life as of late, (depression, etc.) and it has resulted in a large lack of motivation. Coupled with the huge amount of content this chapter has compressed into it (yet again, I need to split up a chapter into two parts), it was going to take a while to get done regardless. But as you can see from this update, I managed to pull through despite all of it. I'm a perfectionist, and I strive to make sure I'm comfortable with every detail before I release something, writing composition or otherwise.

For those who don't remember, in the author's note of chapter 4, I mentioned that while that particular chapter gave of a very filler-esque vibe, it was setting up the foundation for many extremely important plot events to happen further on down the line; this chapter includes the first of said events.

This chapter aims to add a lot of emotional drama to the overall story as it goes into much more detail regarding the events which happened prior to the fic's inception. From the feedback I've gotten from my beta readers, they found it to be very thought provoking and heartfelt, and I'm positive you will feel as they did.

I would also like to thank Pyromania101 for writing up the opening trap scene, as well as devising it's concept. I think he did a great job with it, as I only made a few minor touch-ups here and there.

Oh, and one more thing. I would also like to thank Sarroush for the shoutout she gave me and my fic in one of her latest stories; a Sekirei/Deadman Wonderland Crossover: "The Raven's Inner Conflict". I highly recommend you check that out as well as her other fics. During my absence, I assisted her in writing said story, and would love to see it have more exposure. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it. :)

Here are the thoughts of my co-authors:

**Pyromania101: **I helped with this and I'm damn proud of it. If you're gonna read this, at least have the decency to review it. It's not like it's hard! R&R, people! R&R!

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **I honestly didn't have very much to do with this portion...

**Phen0m20: **…and so the games continue to take shape.

* * *

**Trauma for Truth: Part 1**

_**12 Days Prior to Minato's Trials…**_

Roaming his pudgy stature down the hallway to his marked police cruiser, Saito raised the cell phone to his ear. This was the second time he had tried reaching the Sahashi matron, one of his aforementioned higher-ups, on speed dial, and like each time before, he was immediately met with her voice mail as opposed to a dial tone.

With a sigh, he lowered the phone to his side, and snapped it shut.

"Dammit," he puffed out.

"Still no answer, Fukushima-sama?" Kaho asked, walking alongside him.

"This isn't like her, #87," he said, wavering a displeasured nod. "Of all the times she had to be away, why now?"

She raised a brown brow. "Do you fear something has happened to her?"

"Doubtful," he reassured her. "She said something about needing to clear her mind last time I saw her. My bet is that she's passed out on the couch after watching old re-runs of _The Walking Dead_ looping on her TV with her hand strangling the neck of a bottle of scotch."

"Takami-san is an alcoholic?" she questioned.

"The term 'alcoholic' is a bit extreme, but I do know that she tends to drown her sorrows quite a bit if she's going through a lot of stress." _…Lord knows what kind of stress she'll be going through once she finds out her daughter's gone missing… First the son, and now this. Perhaps I should stop by the brewery to get her something more potent…_

"Perhaps you should try calling her one more time," she said. "It wouldn't hurt."

"That's exactly what I'm doing, Kaho." He flipped open the phone, sifting through his contacts with his thumb. "If it doesn't go through this time, I'll give HQ a ring to send out a search warrant for her daughter. They'd probably get a hold of Takami faster than I can."

He tilted his neck. "Then we'll pay the ice queen a visit."

"Understood, Fukushima-sama." Kaho nodded.

With an approving grumble, he brought the phone to his ear once again…

**XXXXXX**

The chirping beep of the MBI's head researcher's phone vibrated in the pitch black, dungeon-like holding cell. Across the room, a dim spotlight buzzed to a flickering prominence.

Takami Sahashi's eyelids ever so slightly cracked open. Groaning, she lifted her aching head from what appeared to be an old table, coughing as she inhaled some dust. How had she gotten here? She didn't remember anything past going home after a stressful day, taking a quick swig of scotch, then flopping onto her bed and letting sweet sleep take her over. So why was she here…wherever here was?

"Whe-…where am I?" she thought out loud, grazing a palm over her intoxicated cranium.

_Oh, damn, _she muttered to herself. _The scotch must have been drugged…_

That was the only explanation she could think of, and it would explain her headache to a degree. But why? Foul play from a particularly unscrupulous Ashikabi, perhaps? Izumi Higa would stoop to something like this, but going after someone as important as Takami would be too risky, even for him. So who would…

She motioned to stand, but a slight spark of an electrical current pulsed a painful spasm through her ankle. She let out a small yelp as it singed a minor burn into her talus. She shifted her sleep-encrusted gaze to the floor to find herself cuffed to the wall by a shackle and chain.

…_what on earth-_

_***Bzzzzzzzt!**_

The static ceased Takami's musings. Jerking her head to the direction of the noise with spontaneous instinct, she saw that it was a small television set. The screen finally cleared up, revealing what appeared to be a mannequin. This one had red swirls on its large cheeks, a red bow-tie, black hair, and red eyes. It looked frightening.

The mannequin opened its mouth with an audible click, and a dark voice rang out that sent needle-like shivers splintering down her spine.

…_Jigsaw._

_"Hello,_ _Takami_," it said._ "I want to play a game."_

Exactly what it meant by that was something that Takami did not want to find out, yet she remained silent and listened as the message continued, taking only shallow breaths in the dampened atmosphere.

_"Ever since you became a mother, and likely even before that, you have been a very secretive woman. You failed to inform either of your children of your occupation as a high-ranking MBI scientist, outright lied to them, and genuinely refused to give them information that they were all but entitled to. Through this, you endangered their lives, as well as the lives of others. Now, you must learn to be truthful, in order to save your own…"_

She let out a sneering grumble.

Takami got a little angry at this remark. What was a puppet of all things to question what she did and did not tell her children?

…yet a small part of her felt a pang of guilt at the puppet's damnation.

"_In order to learn to tell the truth, you must first realize the consequences for withholding it._ _However, you must first assemble this jigsaw puzzle and declare the message it leaves in order to earn the opportunity to redeem yourself…"_

She raised an eyebrow._ "_Jigsaw puzzle?"

That's when Takami noticed that there was a tablet in front of her. Over it was what appeared to be a small grid, though its purpose was a mystery to her. Next to the tablet was a white box with pieces to a jigsaw puzzle inside. Strapped to the outer sides of the box were rectangular pieces, the functions of which were also unknown to her.

_"However, each time you place a piece in an incorrect position and must move it to a different one, you will be cut by the razors. You will also be cut if you take more than one piece out of the box at a time."_

She began to tug at the chain in a vain attempt to free herself, and was met with yet another nasty shock for her efforts.

"_Don't worry," _the demon doll continued._ "It won't be enough to sever your fingers, and as a doctor and scientist, you should know how to keep yourself from bleeding too profusely. If you cannot accomplish this task in two minutes, the door to this room will be permanently sealed shut. Oh, and one more thing: you must complete the puzzle and shout the message - partially completing it and figuring out the message on your own won't work. Will you live or die, Takami? The choice is yours…choose quickly."_

_***Fzzzzzzzz…zzzzt…**_

Takami wanted to scream, to shout, to do all sorts of things, but the moment that puppet thing mentioned death, all those thoughts took a backseat to completing the task at hand. She quickly looked into the puzzle box as the timer started counting down.

_I need to find an edge piece, _she thought. _That'll be the best way to start._

With a swift visual sweep of the puzzle fragments, she found one and plucked it out. Placing it at the top left corner of the tablet, she quickly drew her hand back into the box to search for any other pieces that might be corner ones or might connect. So many of the pieces looked the same. Suddenly, she cried out in pain and withdrew her hand from the box. Her right middle finger was bleeding. Why? Then she remembered what the thing had said; she must have accidentally grabbed two pieces at once.

**0:01:49…0:01:47…0:01:46…**

Biting the pain down, she carefully reached for another piece. As if by luck, she withdrew another corner piece and placed it at the bottom right corner of the tablet. Two down, so many more to go. It was a good thing that this wasn't one of those super-large puzzles, or Takami would have been in even more trouble. Reaching in, and cringing slightly when her bleeding finger brushed up against one of the razors, she withdrew another piece; this time, a random one that was white with a bit of red on it. A part of the center, perhaps?

_Snick!_ Takami yelped as a small but sharp blade cut into her finger. _Damn, wrong place._ Thinking quickly, and taking a gamble, Takami moved the piece over a bit, and to her relief, nothing happened.

**0:01:34…0:01:33…0:01:32…**

Time was of the essence. Takami couldn't afford to dawdle. Picking up another piece with a straight side, she slid it near one of the corner pieces. Nothing. She picked up another, and it connected with the previous piece. She was actually making progress, and with good time, but she wasn't out of trouble yet, so she kept going.

**0:01:19…0:01:18…0:01:17…**

_Snick!_ Takami bit back a yelp this time as the blade pierced her skin, and for once, managed to keep her body and mind focused on the task at hand. She was making progress, and the pieces were fitting well together.

The center of the puzzle seemed to be forming into a word, but what?

**0:01:02…0:01:01…0:01:00…**

One minute to go. Takami picked up her pace, gritting her teeth as her finger was sliced once again. Even though she was making progress, the puzzle didn't even look half done. She needed to hurry. Grabbing another piece, she inserted it and yelped when her finger was cut again. Shaking her head in order to stay focused, she placed it somewhere else, and nothing happened. She grabbed another piece, despite the great pain she felt in her bleeding hand, and motioned it in the correct position, as evidenced by the fact that she wasn't cut again. Thankfully.

**0:00:51…00:00:50…00:00:49…**

She could now see the word, or what was soon to be a word, more clearly now. It was in a different text, but Takami was multilingual, and she could easily see that it was an English word. But she didn't have time for that now. She grabbed another piece and placed it on the tablet. Nothing. She grabbed another piece, gasping as more blood dripped down from her badly lacerated hand.

**00:00:39…00:00:38…00:00:37…**

Almost done, almost done! There were only seventeen pieces left. Her breath now quickened as her heart beat became more and more rapid with each passing second. _***Bu-bump! *Bu-bump! *Bu-bump! *Bu-bump!**_

Takami grabbed another piece and inserted it in the proper place. She grabbed another and placed it in the right place. She grabbed another…_and another…and another!_ She yelped in pain. Shit! Another mistake! She quickly regained her focus and placed it in the correct position on the tablet.

**00:00:25…00:00:24…00:00:23…**

So close. So fucking close! Almost delirious, Takami grabbed another piece and put it on the tablet. Just a few more now. She wanted to look at the clock, but did not dare for fear of wasting the seconds she had left. Oh how precious those seconds were!… Almost done!…

**00:00:14…00:00:13…00:00:12…**

Just three more! She grabbed one and put it on the tablet. The blades cut her. Shit! She placed it somewhere else and nothing happened. She grabbed another one and placed it in the right place. Just one more!

**00:00:06…00:00:05…00:00:04…**

Takami grabbed the last piece and placed it in the final part. She saw the word, leathered in her own blood…

**00:00:03…00:00:02…**

"TRUTH!" she shouted! "Truth!…truth!…_truth!…truth…"_

The timer froze on **00:00:01**. She had done it, with one second to spare!

An exhausted, yet relieved expression glossed over the panting MBI researcher's visage. Her hand hurt like a motherfucker, and her ankle had certainly seen better days. But at least she was still alive. All that was left to do was undo the shackle and exit the room. She reached down and grasped at the cuff.

_***Brrrrrzt!**_

"GAH!"

She was zapped again! But why?! She completed her game! Passed her test! So why wasn't she released?!

_***Click**_

The loud boom of the locked door's tumblers sprung loose. Takami's thoughts came to a sudden halt with all the grace of a traffic accident. A rusty creaking soon followed as a bright light shown through the crack of the slowly opening door. The sudden change in luminosity blinded Takami temporarily. She raised her forearm to her eyes as they adjusted to the distortion. Despite not seeing anyone at the moment, she knew they're had to be multiple individuals as she could hear an abnormal pattern of pattering footsteps. Perhaps they were here to unlock the shackle? But that would be wishful thinking.

Though her pupils stung when she peered in front of her, she was able to make out an outline of three figures eclipsing the blinding pure-white light. Each wore horrific, stomach-turning pig masks and wrestling robes, though it was still too dark to really make out the color from the distance they were at.

The two on the left and right halted their movement, but the individual in the center, who also happened to be the shortest of the three, continued forth.

Filtering the air through her nostrils, Takami sat there in sweating bewilderment. She watched as the wee little piggy halted its footsteps, stopping inches before the table, and crossed its arms.

The short swine inclined its head down to the captive researcher.

"_Hello, Takami,"_ the figure said, its voice altered in a similar fashion as the demon doll from earlier. _"First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you on passing your test…"_

The Sahashi matron kept quiet; an ill-amused look of disappointment demoting her once frightened expression. But why? Perhaps she was still feeling a buzz from the drugged scotch?

"…S_o tell me,"_ the robed character went on, _"are you ready to be truthful for once in your life?"_

"You want some truth?" Takami snickered. "I'll give ya some truth: you're a horrible actor."

The figure took a step back at this statement. "W-what are you talking about?!"

"Pfft. Oh cut the crap, Yukari. I know it's you!" she boldly declared. "Do you honestly think for one second that I can't tell when I'm in the presence of my own daughter? Now take that filthy thing off!"

Unsure what to make of the situation, with a curl of the neck, 'Yukari' peered back at 'her' subordinates, glancing over the shoulder. The two observing Pigheads glanced at each other briefly before focusing their beady little eyes back at the unfolding scene, not uttering a single word.

The captive Sahashi matron continued to goad 'her' on. "Well, I'm waiting."

The Pighead turned back to the researcher.

"Hmph," she scoffed. "Fine…"

In quick succession, the short swine subordinate removed her gloves, tossing them aside. She dug her lengthy feminine nails into the rubber cheek of her mask, peeling it off her visage, and confirming Takami's suspicion.

"…mother."

**~o~O~o~**

_**13 Days Prior to Minato's Trials…**_

With a trembling heart, the Demon Ashikabi's thoughts began to race behind her blindfolded eyes. The van had just now come to a screeching halt, and the sound of the driver's door opening and slamming shut boomed through her heightened, sensitive eardrums.

"Alright, we're here," the doctor claimed, glancing back at her and the pretty boy. "You can take the blindfolds off now."

"Oh, um…okay," she replied, clearly shaken.

"R-right aw-way, s- sir," Shiina said, still stricken with hypothermia.

As instructed, the two undid their blindfolds, and slowly lowered them to their laps. Before they could make out their surroundings, the doctor's massive accomplice slid the slide door open. The sudden 'woosh', coupled with close proximity of the man's abundantly muscular frame drew a surprised gasp from them both.

The monumental mute stared at the frightened pair's twitching eyes and their gaping pupils for a brief moment before stepping aside to allow them exit. Directing his thumb over the shoulder, he motioned them to get out.

Dr. Gordon exited the van, closing the door as he extracted his cell phone.

**XXXXXX**

With a neatly folded napkin, John Kramer wiped the excess of milky cereal grain from his chapped lips.

His cell phone vibrated. Pushing the bowl aside, he flipped it open, seeing Dr. Gordon's blinking text.

He put it on speaker and set it back on the table.

"_I assume we have an update, doctor?" _he asked.

'_John,' _Dr. Gordon began, _'the Demon Ashikabi and #107 have arrived…'_

"_Excellent," _he commended in raspy esteem.

He flipped on his hood, glancing back at the gore-smeared chair and 'tool' used by his first…official recruit. _"I look forward to finally meeting them face to face."_

**XXXXXX**

"We'll be up momentarily."

He snapped the phone shut, and focused his attention back to the Demon and Reaper.

"Mr. Mathis does not like to keep John waiting," The blonde healer claimed. "I suggest you the two of you do as he indicates, else he might get…angry…"

"Eh?!" They replied in shaken unison. "Err…right!"

They complied almost immediately once the doctor said that. Despite having assisted in kidnapping them, Dr. Gordon backed away a healthy distance, seeming to be just as intimidated as they were. Come to think of it, the ride was quiet the entire trip. The whole thirty minutes. Not once was a single word spoken by either of them. The two just got in the van as asked, put the blindfolds on, and simply sat there, waiting as their hearts sank. They didn't dare go against the field general's gesture; a wise decision on their part.

Now outside (so to speak), the two saw that they were now in an underground parking garage, no doubt abandoned. But then again, why wouldn't it be? The last thing a kidnapper would want would be for their base of operations to be out in broad daylight where anyone can see it. The air was stale, and quite moldy, but at least the lighting was decent. And, as Dr. Gordon had promised, it was MUCH warmer than the building they were in previously, much to Shiina's relief. His condition was much improved at this point; the van's AC got quite warm during the trip, but his body was still weak and his voice still had that notable stuttering shiver.

"W-w-where are we?" Yukari asked out of habit. She knew the answer wouldn't be very specific, if she would get one at all, that is.

"That's not important right now," the doctor answered. "Please follow us up the stairwell. Rest assured, all will be explained soon enough."

...

Yukari's fear stricken thoughts began to tremble within her psyche. _We're gonna be killed. We're gonna be killed. We're gonna be killed…_

"Ugh…" Shiina weakly exhaled, warming his arms with the friction of his palms. "I'm s-so t-tired…"

He coughed. "H-how much longer do we have t-to walk?…"

#107's question was rightfully asked. They had to have tromped up thirteen flights of steps by this point, and the stairwell didn't even seem to be halfway to the apex.

"Second to last floor," the doctor answered, much to the Death Feather's dismay.

"Come on, Shiina," Yukari softly spoke. She tucked her head beneath her pretty boy's shoulder, and wrapped her arm around his waist to provide extra leverage. "I'll help you."

The courteous Sekirei jerked his head opposite of Yukari's as he sneezed. "T-thank you, mistress."

She smiled her approval, and he smiled back.

They take a few more steps. A heavy weight then clasped the Demon Ashikabi on the shoulder. She jumped, taken by surprise. Swallowing her throat, Yukari slowly curled her neck to her shoulder. The tightened muscles in her angsty glare met the burly glove of the man Dr. Gordon referred to as 'Mathis', and let out a hushed squeal as they escalated to his gruesome pig mask.

The One They Call Mathis swayed a slight 'no' gesture with his neck, distorting his swine veneer as he turned his attention to Shiina. Then, without warning, the towering hired muscle scooped the pretty boy in his fulsome arms with relative ease, and lumbered his way up the stairs.

Yukari was left in slack-jawed shock; dumbfounded. Her mouth tried to formulate words, but her garbled state of mind warped the tongues verbal vibrations. Her Sekirei was now being carried off bridal style by some hulking freak of nature! Her prized pretty boy!

She shook the fear from her bewildered visage, ousting it for fangirl-ish ire and boiling resentment.

The One They Call Mathis was now one flight of steps above her.

"Grr…" she growled.

She gestured a pointer finger at her man-stealer with a swift extension of the arm. His size didn't even register to her anymore. No size could break the demon's scorn…though that didn't necessarily mean _**SHE**_ wouldn't be broken by it.

"Hey!" she shouted in a huffy tantrum. "Just where the hell d'you think you're going with my pretty boy?!"

Not once did the eclipsing behemoth's footsteps become stilted.

She screamed more over the railing. "Hey, are you listening to me?!"

She rushed up the steps. "He may look it at first glance, but Shiina doesn't like the other white meat!"

Her words penetrated his focus as much as a tennis ball would a brick wall.

"Put him down! Right now!" she demanded, stamping her foot. "You hear me, Porky?!"

"I'm okay, Yukari," Shiina softly spoke. "Please…calm down. I don't want to make this guy angry…"

His reasoning was as effective as Yukari's raging.

"Well if you're not gonna listen to me," she tensed her muscles, "Perhaps I should show you why I became known as 'The Demon Ashikabi'!"

Shiina's heart sank. He knew what this meant. "Yukari, PLEASE! DON'T!"

Too late. Target locked.

She charged in, eyes blazing. "Say goodbye to your happysack, creep!"

Rearing her leg back as far as she could, she lunged her thigh in the opposing direction with a roar escalating in pitch as it ascended from her gut.

A distinct metallic clang echoed throughout the stairwell the moment her tibia made contact.

_***CRACK!**_

"AGH-!"

The Demon Ashikabi's bulging eye sockets abducted her lashes from view.

The pain registered was so sudden and intense; her scream had been momentarily delayed.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The One They Call Mathis halted his footsteps, not phased in the slightest.

"Yukari!" Shiina shouted in in concern. "Are you alright!"

He looked up at the hired muscle as he slowly motioned to turn around. "Please! Don't hurt her! She-she didn't mean it!"

Yukari was hopping up and down on one foot, clasping her near-turgid shin in a tight laced grasp.

"Oww! Oww! Oww! Oww!"

The One They Call Mathis just stood there, observing. Was he amused? Angry? Both?

He took a few heavy steps towards the Demon Ashikabi as she blew on her stubbed leg, his shadow eclipsing her the closer he trudged.

She looked up at him, teary eyed. "Owwwww…."

Shiina begged him more. "Please, don't hurt her…"

The One They Call Mathis caught her on the next hop.

"Woah!"

He lifted her into his arms alongside her pretty boy. The Demon Ashikabi was defeated, and he hadn't laid a single hand on her. She didn't bother to wiggle herself free. Why should she? Her trump card had failed, and her pride took a heavy blow to the mid-section. All she could do now is save face, or at least the parts that weren't drenched in tears.

"Are you alright, Yukari?" Shiina asked.

"No…" she replied, pouting. "Either this guy has cement in his trousers, or he has balls of steel…"

Her Sekirei lowered his eyebrows. "I was frozen today."

The One They Call Mathis lumbered the couple up the stairwell as Yukari continued to sniffle.

**XXXXXX**

_***Knock *Knock**_

John's attention diverted from the contents of his filing cabinet to the light rapping on his door.

Pushing the drawer back in, he responded to the knocking and muffled mumbling on the opposite side, aloof as usual.

"_It's open."_

The door started to creak open; the mumbling became more coherent.

"-are you sure, Yukari?" asked the pretty boy out of concern.

"Yes, I'm sure," the demonic matron replied, speaking under her breath. "It's just a little bruise."

She continued. "Now just let me do the talking, Shiina. He's my brother, after all…"

Dr. Gordon showed the demonic duo inside with a slight presentation motion of his arm; an all new ambience flooded their already heightened and nerve-racked senses upon entree. It felt darker and much more sinister than death itself, let alone any demon.

Chills traveled up and down their spines as their eyes slowly wandered around what could only be described as a workshop of horrors. Littered amongst the shelves and tables, dozens of unnerving parasitic mechanisms and contraptions shined in the flickering fluorescent light as they lay in wait for their new hosts; many were rusted and required further maintenance.

Sodden with dry blood, a recliner sat amongst tools of destruction. Engrafted to it was another mechanism composing of tightly compacted knives, each stained with heavy amounts of red vital juices, some of which continuously dripped to the chair's soppy, now red cushioning.

**~o~O~o~ x** **~o~O~o~**

…_She snarled! She pushed! Flesh stripped! Blood dripped!_

"…_AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"_

**~o~O~o~**

_***…drip**_

_***…drip**_

_***…drip**_

_***…drip**_

Their blood ran cold as it drained from their complexions. They swallowed the air with a gaping gulp.

What the hell had they gotten themselves into?

"_Please excuse the unsightly mess," _a hooded John Kramer said, sauntering out from behind one of the shelves to at long last greet his awaited guests. _"I have been quite busy as of late, and have yet the chance to clean up."_

Setting his rough hands down on the table, he ascended his head to rendezvous with their angst-ridden gazes. Although they didn't have a clear view of his visage, he could sense they were afraid, confused; nauseated, even. John always gave off a rather distinct aura with his presence as well as his presentation, but looking further into their eyes…he could feel a _**strong **_sense of preservation within them; Yukari in particular. He could tell she would be far more confrontational than most of his other…subjects…despite what her current body language may give off.

"_Now," _he began._ "I'm sure you have plenty of questions you would like answers to…"_

He took a swig of his drink, wiping away the excess before swallowing._ "Answers which you are more than entitled to…"_

The strange, deep hollowed rasp of the hooded man's voice shook the demonic duo to the point where they felt its rough texture brush against their cores ever so slightly; like sandpaper to one's fingernail.

Yukari swallowed yet another mouthful of air. She responded, voice shaken. "Ju-just what is it that you want with us? Who are you?"

"_A reasonable question,"_ he continued. _"People on the outside have come to know me as Jigsaw; a title I personally frown upon…and my reasons for bringing the two of you here are quite simple. I called upon the two of you today to give the both of you the opportunity to assist me…"_

He paused.

"Assist you ?" she asked, glancing at the blood-soaked chair once more, then back to Jigsaw. She swallowed again. "With what?"

"_Hmpf," _he scoffed._ "An opportunity to assist in putting an end to the game which has torn apart the lives of so many…including your own…as well as your brother's."_

_My brother's? _"Wait…are you talking about the Sekirei Plan?"

Jigsaw blinked. _"That I am, Miss Sahashi."_

"But if you needed our help, why did you kidnap Minato and try to have us killed?" she asked.

"_Oh, you mistake my methods, Miss Sahashi,"_ Jigsaw explained. _"My motivations were not to kill, but rehabilitate."_

"REHABILITATE?!" she shouted, the skin around her heart hardening. "You forced me bleed out, and Shiina to damn near freeze to death just to save the life of some spoiled little shit who tried to force my pretty boy into being his toy!"

"_I did not force either of you to do anything," _he corrected, undaunted as ever. _"I left the decision of Mr. Mikogami's fate in your hands, and you chose to be merciful; something I commend you for."_

"So what were we supposed to do?!" she barked back. "Just let him drown and be marked as killers for the rest of our lives?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?! MONSTERS?!"

He remained calm. It was as if he expected this outburst of emotion. _"But you see, that's where you're wrong. Hayato's fate was his own doing. The way he lived his life and the despicable actions he committed against society, including the two of you, is what put him in that situation. If he had lived his life differently, as opposed to walking over the feelings of others to claim what he so selfishly desired, he would have never been tested."_

"But why us?" Shiina softly inquired. "What did you need us for? Why leave his fate in our hands?"

"Yeah," Yukari continued, her tone more harsh. "If this was Mikogami's doing, why involve us in this?!"

John downed another mouthful of his beverage. He licked his lips. _"I wanted to see just how fearsome the both of you actually were. To see if your infamous reputation did in fact precede you."_

With a casual trot, he walks over to one of the shelves, dusting off one of his contraptions. The pair's eyes followed. "_Behind the Discipline Squad, the two of you are the most feared Ashikabi and Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan. Given your history with Mr. Hayato, I found that putting the three of you in the same game would be more efficient, as it would have provided me with a more…genuine outcome and clearer understanding of the degree of purity within your hearts."_

"But we had to kill him anyway!" she pointed out loudly. "That brat tried to murder Shiina because it was part of the rules or something!"

"_Indeed, it was…"_ John inhaled deeply through his nostrils before cocking his head back to them. _"Your test was much more complicated than simply testing your moral codes, however. It also had a far more important purpose."_

Yukari's eyes followed as Jigsaw casually went about his business. "And what might that be?"

He continued._ "To see how far you were willing to go to protect the ones you love and hold dear, as well as how much you would sacrifice to ensure their safety."_

He turned towards them, dropping his arms to his side as he approached the table again. _"That is what I need in order to bring an end to this Sekirei Plan: individuals who are willing and able to protect their loved ones by any means necessary…and the fact that the two of you stand here before me in one piece more than proves your dedication."_

"So we were your…guinea pigs?! Lab rats?!"

"_I prefer the term 'subjects' or 'clients', as I find that referring to them as diseased rodents and filthy pests would imply that their life has no purpose or value outside of scientific servitude."_

"You're a hypocrite," Yukari accused. "If you look at your 'subjects' or 'clients' the way you say you do, then why did you ensure that there would be a casualty at the end of our test despite the outcome?!"

A long moment then passed. John lowered his head and reached for the bottom of his hood. _"…those who do not appreciate life…"_

The Demonic pair swallowed a gaping gulp, witnessing the man known as Jigsaw pull back his hood with a languid tug as if to savor the moment, gradually revealing his well-shaven trim.

"…_do not deserve…life…"_

They were shocked; he looked like any ordinary dry, and slightly wrinkly old man. His cold, neutral expression, however, made them realize that they were dealing with a true psychopath.

The freshly shaven aging rehabilitator began to pace in a slow left-to-right stride behind his desk as he went on. Not once did he break eye-contact with the Reaper's mistress.

"_I perceived many possible scenarios to play out during your game, Miss Sahashi, and while the final outcome was something I had anticipated, there were many other outcomes with less…graphic climaxes."_

He continued. _"I look at every possibility and expect the unexpected. I take a deck of cards, shuffle it, and see how the game plays out…" _He paused._ "But unlike the Sekirei Plan, there is a chance for survival."_

"Is that so?" Yukari questioned. "Then tell me, _'dealer'_, how could we have avoided any amount of bloodshed? Way I see it, in order for us to complete the _'game'_, as you like to call it, either the two of us or Mikogami had to die. And if that wasn't enough, you even _**ENCOURAGED**_ us to leave the poor bastard to drown! How do you explain that?!"

**~o~O~o~ x** **~o~O~o~**

**Billy (the puppet) to Yukari & Shiina:** _"…Hayato's life…is out of his hands. The decision of whether or not he survives falls upon you, though I implore you…to do the opposite…"_

**~o~O~o~**

"_It was but a simple warning alluding to what may have been his inevitable treachery, Miss Sahashi," _he explained._ "You were free to take it or leave it as you wished. You have your own minds and can make your own decisions. Said decisions the three of you made during your time as my subjects is what dictated the outcome. I was but an observer."_

"That still doesn't tell us how we could have all lived!"

Dr. Gordon intervened.

"Mikogami's actions at the end of the game are what ultimately did him in, Yukari," he said. "It's not Jigsaw's fault, nor is it yours."

...

The blood drained from Shiina's face again after hearing Dr. Gordon's explanation. "Mikogami was poisoned…and you stitched the cure into my stomach?!"

He immediately undid the blanket around his person and looked down. There it was…

He looked as if he were about to faint. "…I think I'm going to be sick."

He started to go limp.

"Shiina!" Yukari pulled the pretty boy into her arms as his dainty legs turned to jelly and collapsed. She turned focus to the doctor. "You are a sick man, doctor! A sick man!"

"Easy now, relax," the doctor said, putting his hands up. "Yes, I did make an incision on Shiina's stomach, but rest assured there is nothing 'stitched' inside. That is only what Jigsaw _**WANTED**_ Mikogami to believe. It was part of his final test, which he subsequently failed."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yukari shouted in anger, still clenching onto her woozy Sekirei.

"_To see if Hayato had finally learned to appreciate the lives of others, as opposed to just his own," _John continued, Yukari turning back towards him. _"That is the sole purpose of all my games, Miss Sahashi: to help people who lack appreciation for life realize how much of a privilege it actually is; not to just themselves, but others as well."_

The doctor went on, lighting up a Mild Seven. "If Mikogami would have decided to not resort to violence for his own survival, he would have passed his test."

"But he still would have died!" Yukari pointed out. "He was fucked over no matter what!"

"Not necessarily," the doctor added, puffing out some smoke.

"As the antidote to his ailment," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a vial, "was on my person the entire time."

"What?!"

"If Mikogami had been merciful, the game would have been successfully completed, and all three of you would have passed with minimal injury. I would have walked in, congratulated the three of you, and happily given the cure to him, as well as invited him to assist in ending the Sekirei Plan."

He sighed. "But…that didn't go so well in the end. Shame." He shrugged his shoulders. "Ah well, what can ya do?"

"So you mean instead of rushing into the room and giving Mikogami the cure when we released him, you just sat there in your other room and waited for one of us to die?! For me to commit murder?!"

"I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, Yukari," he began. "John took every possible precaution to ensure the game didn't become, in his words, 'tainted'."

He motioned towards the hired muscle, leaning his massive frame next to the door, observing them in silence. "Why else do you think Mr. Mathis was there accompanying me? Jigsaw knows full well that I don't want to do anything that's gonna piss him off."

"You're a fucking coward," she spat in cold moral criticism.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm a murderer now!"

"_No, Yukari," _John intervened. _"What you did was go to every length possible to save Shiina's life. I was watching you, observing your actions as the game unfolded. I saw how dedicated you were to saving the life of Mr. Mikogami, how heartbroken you were when you had to end his life to protect that of your Sekirei."_

He continued as Yukari wept. _"I saw everything inside of you come out to the surface in that moment; your dedication to the ones you hold dear, how much you love them, how much you would sacrifice to protect them. The degree of respect you have for the life of others is staggering; the tears you shed as you stabbed Mr. Hayato to death more than proved this. The way the cascaded down your face showed me how much you despised what you were doing, but also what extremes you would go through and how much you would suffer to keep the ones you love safe._

"_You are by no means a murderer Yukari. You're as much of a murderer as a soldier is for fighting for his or her country. You simply did what had to be done, and the fact that you gained no sense of enjoyment from it shows just how much life truly means to you…and how much you respect it."_

Pulling a chair from his workshop, John approached his two honored guests. He slid the chair behind the pretty boy, whose brain was now regaining a steadier blood flow.

He helps Yukari situate him. _"Tell me, Demon Ashikabi…are you grateful?"_

She wiped away some tears. "For what?"

He glances at her. _"To be alive?"_

"What kind of question is that?" she asks. "Of course I am!"

"_Some people don't realize how precious their lives, as well as the lives of their loved ones, truly are until they're about to be taken away from them."_

He increased the distance between himself and them, speaking over his shoulder. _"I'm sure your brother knows this all too well."_

She shook her head, blowing a sigh through her tear-moistened lips. "…Minato hasn't been the same since-"

"…the incident," Shiina continued, now fully aware. "We were both there…and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

As the salt of his soul poured down his guise, Yukari yanked her pretty boy into a tight, albeit gentle, embrace. "No one could do anything to stop it, Shiina…it's not your fault."

"Ku was all I had before I met you…she was like my-"

"_Like your little sister?" _John inquired.

Shiina's calm demeanor suddenly sparked into something more serious. "Don't act as if you know me! As if you know what it's like losing someone so close to you!"

Crossing his arms, he leaned into the desk. _"Oh, but I do know you, #107…and I know exactly what it feels like to lose someone dear."_

He tilted his head. _"I know how the both of you pursued Kusano, the lengths you went to in order to see her again; to ensure her safety. That's how you gained the infamous reputation of 'The Demon Ashikabi' and 'Reaper Sekirei', is it not?"_

"Just how the hell do you know all this information?!" The mistress demanded.

"_Oh I have my sources, Miss Sahashi," _he answered. _"And my information is always accurate, as well as backed up with irrefutable evidence."_

"_Plus…"_ Bending his knees, John pushes himself off the desk. _"I don't lie; especially not to my subjects…that would be unprofessional."_

He went on. "_Now as I mentioned before, the Sekirei Plan must be put to an end, and the both of you are a vital element in ensuring that my ambitions succeed."_

"How so?" Shiina inquired.

"Isn't it obvious, Shiina?" Yukari pointed out. "I'm the 'game master's' daughter."

A brief wide eyed expression struck Dr. Gordon when he heard this. _She knows? Impressive. This Sahashi girl really knows how to think things through. Must be in her blood…_

"What better way to get into someone's head than to first target their family?" she continued. "That's most likely why this guy kidnapped Minato; he knew how much I cared about him."

"_That is…quite accurate, Miss Sahashi. Not my main motivation, but close nonetheless." _He sat back down. _"So, will you like more details?"_

"Don't bother," she spat.

She approached the desk, slamming her hands upon the craftsmanship, and leaning in closer. "I'm not going to do a damn thing you say until I see my brother! I want to see Minato right now!"

John smirked. _"But of course, Miss Sahashi. All you need do is ask."_

He turned to Dr. Gordon. "_Dr. Gordon, Mr. Mathis, would you kindly escort our guests to Mr. Sahashi's quarters?"_

"Certainly sir," the good doctor replied. "I need to treat Shiina's mild hypothermia anyway."

He motioned them towards the door. "Come, this way."

* * *

Takami couldn't help but smirk, despite the situation. She would have lit a cigarette if she had one on her.

"So Yukari," she said, as though they weren't in such a serious situation and just discussing the day's proceedings, "Why are you working with Jigsaw?"

Her eyes narrowed as she ended her question, and Yukari, despite herself, couldn't stifle the embarrassed blush that had formed due to her being found out.

She fidgeted, thinking back to all those other times she'd gotten into trouble with her mother when she was a child. Her ability to sit down was painfully taken from her for quite a while each time…wait! _**SHE**_ was in control here, **not** her mother! She glared defiantly at Takami, her teeth bared.

"Hey, I'm the one asking questions here, Mom!" she snarled.

Takami's smirk never went away. She still knew which buttons to push with this girl - a side effect of being her mother, of course.

"Hmph," she belittled. "So then ask away!"

"Fine, I will!" she shouted back. "First off, just how the hell do you know about Jigsaw?!"

"Pfft; Minato did research on the guy a few years ago, and I read through his presentation a good fifteen times. I'm his mother; do you really think I don't keep tabs on this shit?"

"Yeah, without him knowing, I bet!" spat back her daughter. "You're always going behind our backs and leaving us constantly in the dark!"

"Do you really think I want to, Yukari?" she asked. "I would love nothing more than to be a family again, but I have commitments."

_Okay, _Yukari thought. _Time to segue into the first question._ "Oh, really? And what might these 'commitments' be?"

Takami's pupils darted from one side to the other as a confused half smirk formed on her contorting visage. "Yukari…I told you…I work for a pharmaceutical company…"

Yukari reached into her pocket, extracting something. "Bullshit!"

She pressed a button.

_***Fzzzzzzzt…zzzzt…**_

"AGH-!"

Electricity coursed up the Sahashi matron's leg like a lightning rod. For a split second, her body locked up, trapping her free will inside. Takami collapsed from her chair and down to the cold cement floor, her body still convulsing as her burning skin continued to crawl.

Yukari released the button; her mother regained her senses a moment later, weakly rolling onto her knees. With shaken hyperventilation, Takami looked into Yukari's eyes with a dumbfounded, slack-jawed stare. Her daughter had tears in her eyes, yet her expression kept its stern, serious posture.

"Yukari…" Takami weakly said. "I'm your mother…how could you do this to me?"

"SHUT UP!" she shouted, startling Takami. "I've had it up to here with your lies, mother! I know full well that you work for MBI as a high-ranking scientist!"

Grasping at the leg of the table, Takami starts pulling herself back to her feet with a gradual tug. "Which also happens to be…" She sat herself back in the chair. "…ungh…a pharmaceutical company…"

"Sure, but that's not your _**REAL**_ job now is it? No, no, your position is far more serious than what you let on."

"What kind of sick crap has Jigsaw filled your head with, Yukari?!"

"Something called 'truth'!"

"Don't get fresh with me, child!" the Sahashi matron snarled, now partially recovered. "I always figured that you knew I worked for MBI. You were always more observant than your meandering brother…not to mention nosier." She rolled her eyes. "It's a sad day to see that your daughter has more balls than your son."

"**DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MINATO LIKE THAT!**" Yukari shouted, pressing the button again.

_***Fzzzzzzt!…**_

"AGH!"

She released it, a furious fire burned away the teary moisture in her eyes. "YOU'RE THE REASON THAT HE'S IN THIS SITUATION, MOTHER! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"…what situation?" she questioned as she recovered, fear churning in her stomach. "Yukari…what happened to Minato? TELL ME! Where is he?!"

**~o~O~o~**

Head over heels, Yukari Sahashi rushed through the door and into Dr. Gordon's infirm as soon as the aforementioned doctor opened it. It was much cleaner and presentable than the other areas of the buildings she passed through. In the medical chamber sat five hospital cots, each spaced out a good eight feet from each other and sectioned off by their respective dividers and curtains. Their vanilla-colored blankets and sheets complimented the pure-white concrete walls quite nicely. The tiled floors also gave off a shiny glimmer as well, reflecting against the messiness that plagued her mind.

On the central cot, the Demon Ashikabi's older sibling, Minato Sahashi, lay motionless in peaceful slumber. He was shirtless, covered up to his waist in a white sheet. Three IV's pumped differing fluids into his arm; their contents as of now, unknown.

"Minato!"

Yukari made a beeline towards him the moment he entered her line of sight; Shiina followed close behind.

She leaped on the bed with the swiftness of a cheetah, ensnaring his body in a tight, glomping embrace.

Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto his exposed chest.

"Minato!" she cried in a choked up sob. "…Minato…I never thought I would see you again!"

There was no response. He just lay there, comatose.

She lifted her head from his body, still drenched with tears. "…Minato?"

She began to push him. "Minato?"

Her pushing escalated into her rocking the body back and forth. "Come on, wake up!"

Was this some kind of sick joke? Did they kill Minato and replace the body with some sort of dummy? All these thoughts entered her mind, which nearly sent her out of control. But then, she felt his breath against her a cheek as she leaned in to sob some more. She then checked his pulse, and sure enough, his heart was still beating. It was a faint throbbing, but it was still pumping. He was still warm, too.

"I'm afraid he isn't going to wake up for quite some time, Yukari," Dr. Gordon regretfully informed.

She turned around. "W-What?"

The doctor sighed. "In order to ensure cooperation, Jigsaw ordered me to weaken your brother's vital signs. He'll live, but he needs to stay here on life support until he fully recovers, which should take no less than two weeks."

"T-Two weeks…" Yukari paraphrased in disbelief.

She then felt the hand that of her pretty boy pat her on the shoulder. She looked up at him.

"It's alright, Yukari," he began. "At least we know he's safe."

She embraced her brother's body once more. "It's okay, Minato. Everything's going to be alright. Your sister is here now…"

She pulled away, kissing him on the forehead with a quivering smile. "…now and forever."

The moment was then interrupted…and crushed to pieces. "You know he can't hear a word you're saying, right?"

The Demon Ashikabi and Reaper Sekirei both shifted their gazes in the direction of the familiar voice; the voice which haunted their darkest nightmares since the incident. Leaning against the doorway was none other than the Raven Feather herself, glancing a perverse and sadistic gaze towards them, smirking a disfigured and lacerated grimace at their sorrows...

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **And with that cliffhanger, we come to the close of part one of this story arc. For those irked by Yukari's resentment towards her mother here, and willingness to shock her, trust me when I say the reason more than fits her character. The argument between mother and daughter has only just begun to take shape, and by the end of part 2, you will see just why Yukari is so bitter towards Takami. (If I were to upload the entire thing at once, chances are it'll be 15,000+ words) I try my best to keep the gargantuan chapters at a minimum so I don't exhaust the reader too much. Trust me; the twist _**WILL**_ be worth it!

Unfortunately, I am still writing part 2 as I type this, so it may take a bit more than a week to complete and touch up. All I ask is for your humble patience.

Oh, and before I forget, the comedy scene with Yukari and Mathis in the stairwell is something I'm not too sure about keeping here, given how out of place something like that seems for Saw. At the same time, however, myself, as well as my co-authors found it too funny to pass up, and I'd like to have as many light-hearted Sekirei moments as possible before the story takes a complete 180 later on and becomes much more serious. Feel free to offer your opinion on this in either a PM or review.

Here are some words from my co-authors:

**Pyromania101:** Cliffhangers. What can you do, hmm? Anyway, like I said, you'd all better review this as a slight payment for our efforts. It's the closest thing to pay we get. If you read it, then damn it, drop a review, please! Flamers will be hunted down and butchered WITHOUT MERCY! I will personally put you in a reverse bear trap, throw the key out the window, and walk off laughing my ass off as I leave you to your fate. So don't flame!

**The Clown King Of Chaos: ** ... However, I did provide vast insight on the opening of part two. *smiles wickedly*

**Phen0m20: **Take care, everyone. I hope to see you all in part 2. Oh, and one more thing: The poll asking which two characters you'd like to see survive the most is still up on my profile if anyone's still interested in voting. I'll be swapping it with another poll once part 2 of this story arc is posted, so if ya'll wanna vote, now's the time.


	7. Trauma For Truth: Part 2

Jigsaw's dialogue will be entirely in _italics_.

As always, a straight horizontal line over a passage will indicate a moment in present time.

This (**~o~O~o~**) will indicate a flashback, **AND** two of said symbols side-by-side (**~o~O~o~ x** **~o~O~o~) **will indicate a flashback **WITHIN** a flashback.

And this (**XXXXXX**) will indicate when a perspective changes from one person to another.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **Alright everyone, I'm not gonna lie. My inspiration and motivation to write has all but tanked in the last few months. I would have had this chapter out a lot sooner if I felt more inclined to get things done, but the fact is that I've reached burnout. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I want to stop writing all together; in fact it's the exact opposite. I want get this fic out there with all my being, but there is too much real life bs that's bogging me down. My elderly father recently had a stroke, and most likely won't be around too much longer, I need to get a license, a job, and an apartment to move into after he's gone. Shit has been really stressful as of late, and as much as I want to keep this fic updated on a regular basis, other things have kept me distracted and therefore have also kept me from giving it my all.

I'll just say this now; I'm not dead, the fic is not dead, it's just that everything around me is dying and I can't concentrate or put my full effort into this work with all this stress on my mind.

**Pyromania101:**_ "Just…read and review, people. Is that too much to ask?"_

**The Clown King Of Chaos: _"_**_I had basically nothing to do with this installment,but I don't mind that much. This was mostly dialogue, and I tend to not do so well on that; I'm better with Traps and death scenes. Why, I've already orchestrated one that shall be coming soon..."_

**Phen0m20:** As a final note before I begin, I just wanted to mention that I commissioned my first piece of artwork for the "Tell Me" fic. It's almost done, and despite only seeing the sketch, it looks bloody amazing. Anyway, lets get this chapter started...or continued...whichever works for you. :3

* * *

**Trauma For Truth: Part 2**

"…Oh, he's safe," the grief stricken and violently angry Yukari answered, crossing her arms. "No thanks to you."

"When I got word that my son never came home from work two days ago, I thought nothing of it-"

"Of course you didn't," the Demon Ashikabi mocked.

"Let me finish Yukari!" her mother snapped. Takami continued. "Minato is a man now, and should be able to fight his own battles! He also has the largest active harem of Sekirei in the capital, so I figured they would keep him safe from any danger!"

"Hmph," she scoffed. "I see, so you wanted others to do your job for you?! Is that it?!"

"I don't have super powers in case you didn't notice, Yukari!" Takami shot back. "Besides, he wasn't even gone for that long! I assumed he was out having fun for once in his life and would be back by the time I woke up!"

"And what would you have done if he wasn't?!"

"I would have sent out a search warrant, and if all else failed, enlisted the Discipline Squad to track him down…"

The Demon Ashikabi's skin condensed around her body, tensing a snarl in her visage at the mere mention of the Squad's existence. "The…Discipline Squad?"

She clenched her fists, taking slight steps towards her mother.

"Yukari?"

Yukari slammed her hands on the table at full force as she hunched over; her mother jumped back. She raised her head to meet her birth giver's gaze.

Eyes shadowed from view, she began, slowly. "Are you even…aware…of what they did to him, mother?" Yukari slurped the damp air deep into her nostrils. "Does the night of the bridge escape…ring any bells to you?"

"That was when Musubi was nearly terminated by the squad," her mother recalled. "But even so, they wouldn't harm Minato. They couldn't! Harming an Ashikabi is off limits for Sekirei! They know this full well!"

Her daughter let out a disappointed sigh, shaking her head left to right in a wavering displeasured 'no' gesture. She pushed herself away from the table and reached into the black leather bag slung under her shoulder. She pulled out an iPhone, fiddled her thumb on the touch screen for a bit before sliding it across the table, and into her mother's hands. A video was buffering.

Takami looked at it for a brief moment, shifting her gaze from the screen to Yukari's visage. "What is this, Yukari?"

"Press the play button."

For a moment, Takami's eyes drifted back and forth between the phone and her now loathing daughter. With reluctance, she raised the phone off the table and tapped the play button with her thumb.

It was night time. The video was presumably being shot from the top of a high building, as it looked down upon the now devastated bridge at an angle. It started to zoom in, pinpointing on what appeared to be a standoff between #88 Musubi, and #105 Benitsubasa.

The former was distracted by something, but did not keep her eyes off of her pink-haired adversary, who stood dangerously close to the edge of the broken bridge. She looked confidant, however, despite being literally inches away from the watery grave hundreds of feet below.

"_Don't you move!" t_he red Sekirei threatened. It appeared she was stepping on something, or smearing the sole of her boot against it rather, but it was still too far to tell what.

It zoomed in closer. Takami's heart sank into her stomach; the urge to vomit it back up was overwhelming.

The red Sekirei was grinding her boot into her son's hand! He was hanging off the edge of the destroyed bridge by his very fingertips!

"_Hurry, I can't hold on much longer!" _Her son pleaded in groaning agony._ "I'm gonna fall!"_

"_Minato, hold on!" _#88 called out to him in desperation.

"_Come any closer, and I'll drop him!"_

As her mother continued to watch in eye-twitching horror, Yukari leaned her visage in. "Who's that hanging off the bridge, mom?" she asked.

All Takami could do was swallow.

"Tell me," Yukari paraphrased. "Who is it?!"

Her mother set the phone down on its screen.

"No…" she denied. "No, thi-this isn't right…"

"I wanna know, who the FUCK THAT IS, MOTHER!"

She kept silent, shaking her head in a violent left-to-right sweep.

Grasping her mother by the hair, Yukari continued to shout. "WHO IS IT?!"

Takami curled her neck towards her daughter, not daring to look her in the eye. Her gaze focused back to the desk.

"My son," she whispered.

"WHO?!" she roared, nearly deafening her as she yanked her hair harder. "SPEAK UP!"

"It's my son!" she squealed back. She paused for a moment, exhaling as she paraphrased. "It's my son…"

"That's your son?" she repeated. "That's your son?"

The Demon Ashikabi's voice lowered in pitch as she loosened her grip and distanced herself. "Like hell he is."

She glanced over her shoulder. "You chose developing the Sekirei Plan over taking care of your own children. If it weren't for the Sekirei Plan, the game YOU helped create, he never would have been there! You are responsible for that! You never gave two flying fucks about either of us!"

"How dare you!" Takami kicked the chair out from beneath her and stood up. "After everything I did for the two of you, paying for your college intuition, sending you money to feed yourselves when you were unemployed. I supported your sorry asses all the way, and this is the thanks I get from you?!"

She waved off these excuses. "Oh, you paid to get us into college and gave us money from time to time. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo! What about _**BEING THERE**_ for us?! Helping us when we needed you as an EMOTIONAL support?! You didn't raise us! You were never there!"

"You don't think I wanted to be?!"

"It doesn't matter what you 'wanted', mother!" Yukari loudly retorted. "The fact of the matter is that you _**weren't**_ there! If we really mattered that much to you, you would have abandoned this sick Sekirei Plan battle royale bullshit and came home! Everything that happened to Minato that night on the bridge is _**YOUR FAULT**_! You caused it!"

"The Sekirei Plan was Minaka's sick idea! If it's anyone's fault, it's his!"

"You're also a major part of its creation, Mother!" Yukari shot back venomously. "Hell, it could be argued that if you weren't there to help him, the Plan may not have ever been created! You _**ARE**_ in charge of it after all!"

"Besides," she continued. "All that does is make you look even worse. From the logic you're giving me, you'd rather spend your time helping set up Minaka's sick idea that can very well destroy countless innocent lives more than being there for your kids!"

"That's not true!"

"**STOP THE LIES! YOU'RE A LIAR!**" she screamed, pressing the button again. She released it a few moments after she collapsed to the ground.

"Quit denying it, mother! You're in no position to tell me what is and isn't true! You say it isn't true, but your actions show otherwise! Every time we needed you, you were off helping Minaka put the Sekirei Plan together, putting us under the false pretenses that you simply worked for a pharmaceutical company; doing something that was actually helpful for other people in the world! But no! Instead, you spent more time helping create something that nearly gets your children killed than your actual children!"

"You're…a hundred years…too young…to sass me… the way you are…child…" Takami panted. "I never…meant…for either of you…to get involved in this…Yukari! Why else do you think I've…been so secretive about it?!"

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit about 'the Sekirei Plan is supposed to be held in secret' garbage! Do you really think for one miniscule _**FUCKING**_ second that releasing 108 super-powered, genetically enhanced humanoid aliens out into the world and having them all fight to the death in a tournament until there's only one left standing wouldn't get noticed?! Have you _**SEEN**_ the property damage?! I think people have caught on by this point!"

She took a deep breath. "We were blaming the damage on terrorists…"

"Terrorists?" Yukari paused, then sneered. "Yes, terrorists. Terrorists that can shoot lightning from their hands, and jump more than fifty feet in the air at the most populated areas in the city in broad daylight. That ought to cover things up, right?! Because it's not like anyone in this city has common sense, correct? People can only suspend their disbelief so much, you know."

Takami pulled herself to her feet. "All right, all right! Point taken; But I still never thought either of you would become Ashikabi…"

"And that's supposed to make what you're doing all right?!" Yukari objected.

"You're working with Jigsaw, Yukari! A notorious serial killer! How on earth can you think that's right?!"

"Hmph, then I suppose working with homicidal maniacs runs in the family, then?" Yukari snarled. "Don't act as if you're any different! Hell, in fact, you're even worse! You helped enslave an entire race and forced them to fight to the death for the entertainment of a psychopath!"

The tension began to calm a bit. "How many people died because of the Sekirei Plan?! How many lives has Minaka torn apart?! Say what you want about Jigsaw, but at least _**HE**_ goes after people who actually deserve it. Minaka went into this knowing full well that there would be casualties, but he didn't give a shit about any of the innocent lives that would be lost! He could have simply let all the Sekirei go find their Ashikabi and live in peace without any battle plan, but _**NO**_! He wanted to watch these creatures tear each other limb from limb for his sadistic entertainment, and you helped him put it all together!"

Slumping her shoulders, Takami hung her head with a heavy sigh. She hunched over the table, eyeing the truth puzzle she tore her flesh to create.

A moment of silence passed, and then she spoke. "And you don't think I'm ashamed of myself for it…Yukari?"

She raised her head to glance at her fuming daughter. "Minaka is by all purposes…a genius. There is no denying that. I knew the Sekirei Plan would come to fruition with or without my help; he's dedicated to it more than his own health. If he didn't have someone watching him…someone there to make sure things didn't get too out of hand…things would be far worse. That's why I stayed; why I'm in charge of the plan. Someone needs to keep that maniac under control…and considering I was his wife…I knew I had to be the one to do it; not just for your sake, but for everyone's sake."

"Don't pin the blame of every tragic event that's happened on that slime ball, mother," Yukari said. "You yourself made a decision that cost Minato something far greater than his life; his happiness."

The Sahashi matron became confused. "Yukari, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, mom. You know exactly what I'm talking about," was the vicious reply. "Kusano is dead because of you."

"I am aware of what happened between her and Karasuba, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it, Yukari!"

"Well, that's not what Karasuba said…"

**~o~O~o~**

"**I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"**

The One They Call Mathis wrapped his wiry masculine arms around the pretty boy's small frame as he motioned to charge at The Black Sekirei.

"**I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" **Shiina shouted again, his hatred burning away any rational thought as he squirmed in vain. The One They Call Mathis only continued to tighten his vice-like grip.

The marks of rebirth scraped into Karasuba's visage gave Yukari an 'I just shit myself' expression. She could hardly breathe.

"Gordon," she began, horrified and shaking. "what the hell is…_**she**_ doing here?!"

Dr. Gordon looked just as surprised as they did, if not more so (well, except for Shiina, of course).

"Oh, I just came by to welcome our new initiates," the Black Feather began, withdrawing her blade. "How long has it been since I last saw you two? Three months?" She started to cackle as she twirled the flesh-craving steel in the light, enraging the scorned Shiina even further.

"**LET ME GO!" **The Death Sekirei shouted.

Tears now rolling down his face, he focused his threats back at Karasuba, arms pinched to his sides.** "I'LL REDUCE YOU TO NOTHING BUT DUST, YOU FUCKING BITCH! GAHHHHHHH!"**

Her grin intensified at his screaming, opening her wounds to resemble the gills of a slaughtered salmon. "Oh my, someone's cranky," she mocked. "Is it my new look?"

"Karasuba!" Dr. Gordon addressed. "I thought we had a deal!"

He went on. "You promised not to make your presence known until I told you they were settled and ready!"

"You knew about this?!" Yukari interrupted.

"Hmph," the raven scoffed. "Last I checked, the only person I have to answer to is John…"

"**GET OFF ME!" **The ferocious Shiina squirmed more. **"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO KUSANO! YOU MONSTER!"**

Karasuba paid the mourning Shiina little mind. "My, how flattering."

"Please Shiina, stop!" his mistress begged. "She'll kill you!"

"Without effort at that," Karasuba added, a glazed film encrusting in her slanted gaze. "Unfortunately, John has forbidden me from doing such." She sighed. "Sad really. It pains me not being able to reunite you with your beloved sister…"

"Karasuba, please!" Dr. Gordon demanded.

"Oh relax, doctor," she said. "That rule applies to them as well."

"Doctor, what the hell is she talking about?!" Yukari asked as she tried calming the reaper's blazing temperament. "Calm down Shiina! Please!"

"**LET GO OF ME! GET OFF!"**

"Oh, I assumed they told you by now," the Black Sekirei said. "There is to be no fighting amongst us, for if either of us lay a hand on one another, we'll lose any chance to regain what we're fighting for."

She tilted her head to them, smirking. "In other words, if you so much as lay a hand on me or anyone else without John's approval, your brother will never draw breath again."

Yukari's eyes became watery. "You…"

"**I'LL FU-" **Shiina began to slur his words.** "I'LL FUCKING-"**

"Shiina!" Yukari called out to him. "Are you all right? Talk to me!"

Shiina felt as though the world was spinning around him. No, not spinning-flipping upside down. He felt sick, he felt afraid, he felt angry; he felt a whole lot of things! And it was taking a toll on his consciousness. He heard voices around him, though he could not, at the moment, tell who they belonged to, even though he should have. Memories flashed through him, and he didn't know why: he saw Kusano, his adorable little sister, smiling at him and jumping into his arms; he saw the same adorable little girl get cut down by Karasuba, a look of shock on her innocent face as the cruel blade and its even crueler wielder ended her life with orgasmic pleasure. Tears rolling down his face, Shiina's body went limp in the hired muscle's tight grip, and consciousness finally left him altogether.

"Oh no, Shiina!" she expressed. She shook him. "Shiina!"

The One They Call Mathis loosened his grip, letting the pretty boy fall into his Ashikabi's arms.

Karasuba let out a loud, cackling laugh. "Was it something I said?"

Tears cascaded down Yukari's visage as she turned back to her, teeth grit. She didn't say anything, she couldn't say anything. Instead she lifted the Sekirei's small frame into her arms and laid him on the bed.

"Get out of here!" Dr. Gordon shouted. "The two of them have been through enough already!"

Offering the doctor a cold glare, she shrugged her shoulders. "Hmph, It's not my problem the Sahashi girl has such a weak Sekirei."

"Shiina is not weak!" she shouted. "His body was already weakened by what we had to go through today! He damn near went into hypothermia!"

She laughed again. "So the Reaper himself falls from a drop in temperature. Pathetic." She paused. "But not as pathetic as your worthless brother."

"Don't you DARE talk about Minato like that!" Yukari wanted to charge at the woman, but used all her strength to hold herself back. She didn't dare risk her brother's life. Ironically if Karasuba hadn't informed her of the 'touching' rule, Minato would have been dead by now. She inadvertently saved his life.

"Yes, just sit there like a good little pet," the raven mocked, taking steps towards her. "Wouldn't want my efforts lugging the boy's unconscious body half way across the capital to be wasted, right?"

"So it was you?" the demon Ashikabi whispered. "You brought him here."

"Enough, Karasuba!" Dr. Gordon begged.

The hired muscle crossed his arms as Karasuba approached the death Sekirei's bedside. He simply observed the Black Sekirei stare down into Yukari's teary gaze.

Karasuba pointed at a splotch of blood on her cloak. "Do you see this stain?"

Yukari stayed silent.

Karasuba continued. "I kept it as a memento…from that day."

Yukari's stomach turned. "You're detestable."

The Black Sekirei's eyes narrowed. "How kind of you."

She leaned in closer, her stare widened to something more psychotic. "#108's demise was inevitable. She was frail, weak…and too soft." She inhaled an orgasmic breath; her pupils dilating with the exhale. "Oh, was she soft…"

"How could you be so cruel?"

"A Sekirei's destiny lies in bloodshed. Only the strong can survive, and the weak are all but useless; their only purpose being that of meat puppets to be cut down."

The Black Feather tainted more of the air with her crowing. "Speaking of which, nice job chiseling out the heart of The Ashikabi of the South."

"You saw that?"

"Indeed." Her smile grew, if such a thing were possible. "I was standing right next to my Ashikabi and we watched your little scuffle together. The blood. The tears. _**The sorrow!**_ _**The hopelessness!**_ It was all so…stimulating. John certainly knows how to provide quality entertainment for a lady…even if it isn't intentional."

"You actually got off to that? " The demon weakly whimpered. "You have no soul…"

**~o~O~o~ x** **~o~O~o~**

**John to Karasuba: **_"I'll give you…a tool…to discard the vices which have so corrupted your soul."_

**~o~O~o~**

Karasuba scoffed. "I don't have a fucking soul." She pulled away, whisking her cloak into the air as she turned around and walked out of the doorway. "I believe this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Leaving a moping Yukari behind, The Raven Feather recalled an unmentioned detail. She halted her steps at the archway, not even motioning to look at the ridiculed demon again. "Oh, and be sure to give your mother my regards next time you see her. I've yet the chance to properly thank her for offering me such…" she exhaled an orgasmic sigh. "…easy prey."

A stunned expression flooded Yukari's facial features as the Black Sekirei left the room, and disappeared down the hallway…

* * *

"You actually believe what Karasuba said, Yukari?!" Takami expressed. "She's playing mind games with you! I would never do such a thing!"

Yukari reared her head back. "All the cards are stacked against you, and still you lie."

"I'm not lying!" she shouted, trying to desperately reason with her daughter.

Yukari tilted her head to her shoulder. "Oh really?"

The Demon Ashikabi reached into her shoulder-slung bag, extracting a manila folder.

She flicked it on the table. "Then what the fuck is this?"

**~o~O~o~**

A livid Yukari Sahashi stormed into John Kramer's workshop. "What the hell is _**she**_ doing here?!"

"_That depends,"_ John said, unphased as he rotated away from the monitor feeds in his swivel chair, and proceeded to read through the contents of the folder he was holding. He peered over the classified document_. "Just who do you mean by 'she'?"_

"You know _**DAMN**_ right well who I mean, John; or 'Ashikabi' as she calls you!"

**~o~O~o~ x ~o~O~o~**

**John to Karasuba: **_"Do not. Call. Me that."_

**~o~O~o~**

"_I see." _He set the folder back down to the desk. John leaned in, lacing his fingers together over the document. _"Doctor Gordon was supposed to take care of that small issue. I sincerely apologize for any hardship that beastly woman may have forced you to relive."_

"All right, cut the bullshit!" Yukari demanded. "You have some explaining to do, right now! Just why the _**FUCK**_ are we working with Kusano's killer, and why didn't you tell us?!"

"_The severity of your anger is more than understandable, Miss Sahashi,"_ John sympathized. _"Rest assured, we had every intention of telling you of the presence of MBI's dog, though we wanted to ensure you were both settled first."_

"Settled?! You're using Minato to blackmail us into helping you! There is no way we would feel any semblance of comfort here!"

"_Ah, but were you not relieved to see that your brother was alive and breathing?" _he questioned._ "I'm sure that put your troubled mind at rest somewhat."_

"I would hardly call that being alive!" she argued. "He's fucking comatose!"

"_It is true he is incapable of speaking to you in that state, but Minato does, in fact rest among the living…which is what I promised. __I said you can see him anytime you wish. He is your brother, after all."_

"Sure, he's still breathing now, but what happens when you no longer have a use for us?!" She wheezed. "I'm sure you'll have that fucking sword wielding gore-hound cut him down just like she did Kusano, wouldn't you?! _**WOULDN'T YOU?!**_"

John rose from his seat, stepping out from his desk.

"_Come with me."_ he said, pushing in his chair_. "I would like to show you something…A token of my sympathy."_

"You've done enough, John! I'm going back to be with my brother and Sekirei." She started to back up. "Now if you excuse me- unph!"

Before the Demon Ashikabi could turn around, something reminiscent of a brick wall halted her movement. She looked up, yet again meeting the beady little eyes of the pig mask dawned by The One They Call Mathis.

The startled Yukari jumped back on instinct and lost her footing, falling back onto her rear. She pulled herself away from John's hired muscle, and peered back at John himself.

"Was he watching us this entire time?!"

"_He was here before you stormed in."_

"How the hell did he get here before I did?!"

"_He…__**FOUND**__…a way," _John snorted. _"What I'm about to show you is quite important, and I doubt Mr. Mathis will allow you exit before I have the chance to show it to you."_

"R-right," she stuttered. "What exactly do you need to show me?"

"_You'll see."_ He motioned to the hired muscle_. "Mr. Mathis, would you be so kind as to help our new family member to her feet?"_

"What?!" The now shocked Yukari shrieked.

The One They Call Mathis nodded at his aging superior's command. Before the Demon Ashikabi could even think, he pinched her temples with his thumb and pinky, dead lifting her by the head with one arm. Before the moment could even register, she was already on her feet and facing toward John. She had the urge to do 'you know what' again, but given the bruise on her leg from before, she realized her trump card was going to do more harm to her than good.

She glanced up at him briefly. "Uh, heheh…um, thanks."

He simply nudged his chin towards John, and she more than willingly heeded his gesture.

"_Come, Yukari," _John said.

She followed the eerily calm elder; The One They Call Mathis stood guard by the door. They approached the blood-soaked chair and knives she had seen upon arrival, standing on opposite ends. She tried focusing more on Jigsaw, as the gory scene reminded her too much of the struggle she had with Mikogami, as well as the aftermath of Kusano's demise. It made her sick just thinking about it.

"_You have seen the relatively fresh scars on Karasuba's face, correct?"_

"Um, ye-yeah…" She swallowed. "Is this-"

"_It is as it seems."_

"You mean-"

"_I tested her?" _he interrupted._ "Indeed; just yesterday in fact."_

Jigsaw now had Yukari's full, unbridled attention. Just how was this man able to subdue such a major player in the Sekirei Plan, let alone the Black Sekirei, head of MBI's Discipline Squad?…

John 's charisma continued to ooze into her psyche. _"Having been responsible for not only the demise of #108, an innocent child, but also that of countless other lives as well, both of human and Sekirei descent, she needed to realize the severity of her actions and be tested accordingly. As much as it pains me to work beside such a filthy creature, Karasuba's assistance is vital in ending the Sekirei Plan; but I also needed to keep MBI's dog under control with a leash of sorts."_

On cue, the television monitor behind John blares to prominence, taking the Demon Ashikabi by surprise and making the already uneasy contents in her stomach vibrate and jump. On screen, Natsuo Ichinomi was shown still grafted to the elevator, looking ten times worse than he did the previous day when MBI's dog was tested positive for rabies.

John's gaze diverted from the monitor and back to Yukari's, who now had her hands cupped over her mouth in shock.

"_The man before you on the TV is the leash; Natsuo Ichinomi, Ashikabi of the Discipline Squad. His life and freedom depends on Karasuba's cooperation, for if he were to die, she would as well."_

**~o~O~o~ x ~o~O~o~**

**Karasuba to Jigsaw:** _"You do realize I could have my freedom back whenever I choose, right? As a matter of fact…"_

…

_***BZZZT!**_

**~o~O~o~**

Swallowing, Yukari stayed silent, and allowed the man to continue.

He rested his rough palms on the chair's armrest._ "The device we are standing before could have been escaped without effort if the leash was not put in place to subdue the animal, but don't think the decision to incorporate her Ashikabi in the game wasn't taken lightly. Mr. Ichinomi is a cold individual. After the demise of his male lover, he has condemned the world and everyone in it. His callous hatred for humanity has led to not only the stability of the Sekirei Plan, but the neglect and lack of appreciation of all those whom care for him as well, including his own Sekirei; Benitsubasa in particular…"_

**~o~O~o~ x ~o~O~o~**

"…_those who do not appreciate life, do not deserve life…"_

**~o~O~o~**

"…_said neglect reinforced a proliferating bitterness in her otherwise tender heart. I will deal with her in time. Hopefully it isn't too late to show that little bird there are actually people who care."_

This was almost too much for Yukari to take in at once. But as her reasoning stewed within, she realized just how fortunate she and her brother were. John could have easily put Minato in the same situation that Natsuo was in, and used it to blackmail and scar her even further. But Minato hadn't done anything as cruel or deceitful deserving of such a fate…in John's eyes at least. She could even see her brother, embrace him as he slept. Karasuba had no such luxury, and she didn't fucking deserve it either. Not her or her neglectful Ashikabi.

The gore-splattered knives now drew out a pang of morbid satisfaction from her. As much as the sight of all that blood made her queasy, just knowing that the bitch suffered for her crimes and her beauty was carved away forever in penance for killing Kusano made Yukari smile on the inside. Said smile grew bigger knowing she had to follow orders or else her life would be put to an abrupt and well deserved end. Perhaps John wasn't all bad after all…

But that still left one question lingering on her mind.

"Given how Karasuba referred to you as her Ashikabi, and how little the game actually affected her outlook on things, I have to assume there is another element keeping MBI's dog in check, correct?"

He nodded._ "I promised to reunite her with an old friend…an old friend she'll never be able to see again without my assistance…and her cooperation."_

"Someone she has a score to settle against, I assume?"

"A_mong other things."_

"Other things you're probably not going to tell me about, I guess?"

"_All that's important is that Karasuba is working with us whether she likes it or not, and precautions have been taken to ensure it stays that way."_

"Is there anything else that you may deem 'important' for me to know?" she questioned.

"_Quite," _he exhaled._ "Tell me, Yukari, has your mother ever elaborated on what her occupation was?"_

**XXXXXX**

The Raven Feather stood atop John's lair, gazing into the dusk sky as the sun faded beneath the city's landscape. It was fun spoiling the Sahashi girl's reunion, though the intense gravity of the black hole in her chest no one would dare call a heart bartered her the belief that things would only get more fun from here on out. It was at times like this, Karasuba would sweep the streets below in search of more potential targets; virgin blood that had yet felt the sting of her carnivorous nodachi. So many little cherries just waiting to be popped…yet she couldn't do anything about it. Shame.

In spite of bearing the title of MBI's dog, it was only yesterday that she felt what a leash truly felt like. John was able to tame her…for now. It was strange holding back her murderous desires. But sacrifices needed to be made. He _**WAS**_ her Ashikabi after all. Natsuo may have winged her, but he was but a puppet in her eyes, a simple pawn.

#04 slid her fingertips down her cheek, savoring each moment they glided over the soldered gills, like plucking the strings of a guitar. H_e can never hope to leave his mark…the way John did._

She then leapt from rooftop to rooftop, cackling as her silhouette eventually disappeared into the night. Although the sun had set, Yume's return was on the horizon…and she would kill to see her again.

**XXXXXX**

Yukari jumped back at John's statement. Given Minato's presence as well as her own, she knew exactly what this meant. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize what John was about to segue into. "Don't you dare drag my mother into this!"

"_Oh, but Yukari," _John began._ "Miss Takami was the one who dragged herself into this; not me. From her lies and deceit, she put your lives, as well as every life in the capital at risk."_

"What are you talking about?" Yukari knew her mother was secretive, but what could she have done to capture Jigsaw's attention? Well, despite being a Sahashi, of course.

"_You know your mother works for MBI, correct?"_

"I do," she answered. "I kinda found out by accident when I was a kid."

"B_ut do you know the specifics of her occupation?"_

Those words made Yukari's mind backtrack. "Come to think of it…no." Something told her she wasn't going to enjoy what Jigsaw had to say.

John shook his head. _"So many years of living in the dark…to finally be exposed to the light of truth will be excruciating."_

"Just what the hell are you talking about?! What do you want with my mother?! What did she do?!"

John let out a hallow exhale. _"Everything."_

He gestures to the barstool and countertop behind the knife chair 2.0. _"Please, have a seat. What I am about to show you will be rather…difficult to absorb."_

She did as asked, and planted her posterior onto the leather stool.

She crossed her dangling legs, watching her captor walk behind the counter she was seated before. He knelt down to a filing cabinet, pulling open the second to last drawer. The entire thing was loaded, but he had no quarrel finding the file he needed. W_ell he's organized, I'll give him that much,_ she thought.

File in hand, John cocked his cold gaze over his shoulder. _"Before I show you this, there are a few details I need to elaborate on."_

She would have none of it. "What's in the file?"

"_Evidence."_

"Evidence regarding what?"

"_Evidence revolving around your mother's careless decisions involving the Sekirei Plan's participants."_

"Wait," she paused. "Are you saying my mother is involved in the Sekirei Plan?"

"_More than involved, Yukari," _John answered._ "Your mother is a very high-ranking MBI scientist, only outranked by The Game Master himself."_

"Wow…" she stammered. "I knew mom's job had to be of great importance, given how often she's been away on business, but damn." T_hen again, she was Minaka's wife at one point, so maybe the high rank is The Game Master's way of trying to bribe himself back into bed with her._

"_There is more to it, Yukari," _he revealed._ "You're mother isn't just involved in the Sekirei Plan. She __**IS **__the Sekirei Plan"_

The Sahashi girl read through the lines. "I take it that you mean she's in charge of it; or Minaka gave her the responsibility?"

John nodded.

She presented her hand, gesturing him to hand her the evidence with the curl of her fingers. "I'll believe it when I see it."

**XXXXXX**

Yukari flipped through the evidence, trying to be as thorough as possible. Some of the things present were hard to look at, but she knew there would be no sense getting worked up over it all if it were simply a sick attempt at blackmail. It could have been forged for all she knew, but the more she skimmed, the more accurate and spot-on the information became. She was dumbfounded. Not only were there implications of her mother's family life, but the lives of her children as well. The information here was too personal to have been faked. It was something only MBI would have access to. Something her mother had to have archived.

_"Your mother is one of the heads of MBI, Yukari,"_ John said calmly as her wide-eyed glare grazed over the text. _"She is also the head and overseer of the Sekirei Plan itself."_

"B-but…she said she worked for a medical c-company," Yukari said, tilting her head.

_"MBI is a medical company,"_ John said. A part of him wanted to criticize her for not noticing that, but that would be rude, and knowing Takami, she probably would have found a way to trick her kids into thinking she worked for a different medical company if they ever got suspicious.

"_Takami was with Minaka when he found the Sekirei ship,"_ John continued, taking out a small manila folder and opening it. _"She was in on it from the start."_ He handed another folder to Yukari, who reached into it and pulled out several photos. "_She oversaw everything, from monitoring Sekirei once they found their Ashikabi to picking up the bodies of any terminated Sekirei…including #108."_

"No…no," Yukari insisted as she looked at the photos, many having Takami in them. One photo made her cringe severely. Takami, a cigarette in her mouth and a sour look on her face, was standing next to a man-an MBI soldier, judging by his uniform-who had something small tucked under his left arm. No, not something; _someone_! A little girl with long blonde hair, though it was matted with blood. It was Kusano.

Tears welled up in the eyes of the 'Demon' Ashikabi as she beheld the photo that exposed the truth. John looked at her pityingly, and motioned his hired muscle to approach. He slipped an SD card out from under his thick garbs and handed it to his aging superior.

_"This was taken on the night when a fight on a bridge occurred between the Discipline Squad and an escaping Ashikabi and his Sekirei,"_ he said. _"I believe you should take a look at it, as nothing can further describe my motivations behind ending the Sekirei Plan than this."_

Looking away from the photos, Yukari shook her head. "No," she whispered tearfully. "I-I believe you." She sniffed, then added, "Why would mom lie like this? Why?"

He grabbed her attention. _"Yukari, look at me," _he stated. _"This is something you have to see. To fully understand why your mother must be tested."_

Her head slumped into her hands, her breathing became more off pattern and jumpy. "F-fine," she said. "Show me it."

"_Let me see your iPhone."_

"Okay." She extracted her phone and handed it to John.

He inserted the card, and fiddled with the touch screen. He handed the phone back as the video begins to buffer.

**XXXXXX**

The video had finally finished. Yukari could barely breathe. Her teary, wide-eyed expression twitched as the phone slipped from her grasp and onto the floor, the SD card ejecting on impact.

"Minato…why?"

"_As you can clearly see from the footage Dr. Gordon had taken from that night, the Sekirei Plan has brought you and your brother nothing but sorrow, and your mother took part in putting it all together."_

"I can't believe this," Yukari stated, still shaken. "Minato never did anything to hurt anybody!"

_"You were wronged, Yukari. Would you like answers?"_

Yukari looked at the man and, after a moment's hesitation, nodded. "Yes," she whispered, but with conviction. "I want to know _why_ she did this."

"_Very well." _Bending his knees, John rose from his seat. _"Then there is one more thing I must show you."_

He turned his attention to his hired muscle. They nodded to each other. The One They Call Mathis extracted one more manila folder from his robe, and slapped it on the table before Yukari's eyes and trudged out of the room without a word.

The Demon Ashikabi flipped the document open, eyes drifting thoroughly through the information. It was a tournament bracket of sorts. It was a few months old, as many of the participants on the card had been terminated by this point. A red circle supposedly marked by Jigsaw encircled the match-up-–if you could call it that-between #04, Karasuba, and #108, Kusano .

She took a brief glance at John. "What is this?"

"_The documents you now hold are the final renditions of the Sekirei Plan's tournament bracket," _he said. _"Everything you see there had been looked over AND APPROVED by the Sekirei Plan's head observer."_

"N-No way!" Yukari said as her speak staggered briefly. "The-there's no way mom would ever agree to put Kusano against that monster! There is just no way!"

She looked at the bracket again, and sure enough, her mother's signature was right there at the bottom, in her own writing.

**~o~O~o~ x ~o~O~o~**

**Karasuba to Yukari:** _"Oh, and be sure to give your mother my regards next time you see her. I've yet the chance to properly thank her for offering me such…" she exhaled an orgasmic sigh. "…easy prey."_

**~o~O~o~**

"_I'm afraid it's true Yukari," _a disheartened John lamented in a stoic tone. _"Before it was signed, your mother had every opportunity to make changes in any way she deemed fit…but didn't."_

"Then that means she's…responsible for everything." She wept as she wheezed. "And willingly put these events in motion…"

Her chest began to heave in and out as the emotions took over, their intensity clamoring past climax with every syllable. "God, Minato…how could mom do this to you? To us?! To Kusano?! TO EVERYONE?!"

Jigsaw reached out to the grieving Demon Ashikabi and gently clasped his rough palm on her shoulder as the tears dripping from her drenched visage soaked Ku's innocent mug shot; their warmth causing the red ink to run down her bubbly face.

He spoke the ultimatum as her teary gaze met his smooth complexion. _"How much trauma must be inflicted to get to the truth, Yukari? Make your choice…"_

* * *

"S-signed and approved by Taka-"

Yukari tightened her grip on her mother's hair, yanking back and staring daggers into her visage. "Signed and approved by WHO, mother?!" She forced her head back towards the document, nearly slamming her head into the desk again. Yukari was in a whole other world now. The Demon Ashikabi finally _WAS._ "Who's signature is it?!" She snarled.

"S-signed a-and approved by…T-Takami Sahashi… MBI lead researcher and head observer of the Sekirei Plan."

Yukari released her grasp on the matron's lock of hair. "You sent Kusano to her death!"

"Please Yukari!" The Sahashi Matron pleaded. "Let me explain!"

Her daughter would have none of it. "What's there to explain mother?! The proof is right there in the folder! You have no fucking excuses!"

"Yukari, you listen to me!" Takami's visage distorted into that of a hannya mask, its glowing silver eyes staring daggers directly into her so-

_***SLAP!**_

The Demon Ashikabi's backhand slapped the mask right off her mother's face. It faded to nothing as it fell to the concrete floor.

Takami grazed a palm on the newly deformed welt on her cheek, taking in what had just happened. The silence was so deafening, the vibrations the slap made continued to echo for what seemed an eternity.

The moment passed, and Yukari finally spoke, her voice now having a much more serious and tearfully heartfelt demeanor. "How dare you think that trick would work on me at a time like this."

Her mother stayed quiet, taking only shallow breaths. All she could do was rub her cherry-red cheek.

"Just who the fuck do you take me for? How submissive do you think I am?" she went on. "I can understand you being away on business, I can forgive you not being there for us, I can sympathize with wanting to keep Minaka under control…" The tension in her fists intensified as she clawed her nails into her own palms. "But approving the death sentence of an innocent child…UNFORGIVABLE!"

"Yukari…I understand why you're upset but-"

"**BULLSHIT!**" she snapped. "**YOU DIDN'T SEE THE BLOOD! YOU DIDN'T SEE WHAT SHE FUCKING DID TO HER!**"

After a few huffs of blind rage, Yukari continued. "Right before Minato's eyes Ku was murdered and he hasn't been the same since! That girl called him "onii-chan" mother! **MINATO WAS HER** _**FUCKING**_ **ONII-CHAN AND SHE WAS SLAUGHTERED BECAUSE OF YOU!**"

Takami was shaking at this point. Her nerves were shot. "I KNOW!"

Yukari went on. "I've been living at Maison Isumo since the incident, trying my best to be a much needed emotional support for Minato, and where the fuck were you?! Sucking the game master's cock?!"

Takami couldn't say much of anything at this point. Her thoughts were scrambled. "I didn't want this."

"Neither did Minato. You mean nothing to me anymore, mother. Minato did your job for you. He was my care giver, and was there for me all the way while you were off enslaving a race for some crackpot maniac. You are a terrible mother."

Takami hung her head in shame.

"Despite everything you did, you got off lucky with this test. All you needed to do was tell the truth for once in your life, and you failed. Shiina nearly froze to death, and I…had to kill somebody to save him."

"You did what?!" Takami wasn't expecting this.

"Mikogami tried to kill Shiina after he nearly froze to death trying to save him. I retaliated with fatal results…yet another thing that could have been avoided if you hadn't helped Minaka launch the Sekirei Plan to begin with." Yukari began to get more choked up. "Because those are the lengths I will go to in order to protect the ones I love."

"Yukari…"

"I want him back."

"What?"

The Demon Ashikabi's blood reached its boiling point. "I SAID I WANT HIM BACK!"

Yukari leapt onto her mother, tackling her to the ground. All sanity left her eyes. She grasped the Sahashi matron's neck, and dug her nails into the flesh.

"I WANT HIM BACK! I WANT HIM BACK! GIVE ME MY MINATO BACK!" she cried, slamming the back of her mother's cranium into the concrete again and again.

The One They Call Mathis immediately trudged to action, rushing over, and dragged the enraged Yukari off of the MBI head researcher. She screamed and cried incoherently as she struggled for freedom.

Takami regained her bearing's, and gasped for breath. "You…let go…of my daughter…this instant!"

She pulled herself back to the table.

Yukari's body began to exhaust itself. Mathis let her go, and she dropped to her knees.

Takami looked on as her daughter cried her eyes out and finally spoke her piece.

"Yukari…let me explain." Her mother took a deep breath. "I…tried to prevent Kusano from meeting such an awful fate. While I was planning the brackets for the tournament, I did my best to match Kusano up with the most fair competition. I originally wanted her to face #106, Shijime, as they were of similar age…but after she passed away in a bicycle accident involving her Ashikabi's reckless driving, I was forced to find another opponent for her to face."

She sighed as she continued. "Unfortunately, it had slipped my mind that a rule was set in place, stating that the Ashikabi with the most Sekirei would have to face at least on member of the Discipline Squad, and since Minato's other Sekirei were locked in against their opponents, and Benitsubasa and Haihane were locked in with theirs, that only left me one option…"

She went on with the story. "I begged Minaka to allow me to make the changes…"

**~o~O~o~**

"_Minaka, please!" Takami pleaded. "Kusano doesn't stand a stand a snowball's chance in hell against the Black Sekirei! I beg you, allow me to substitute Kusano with one of the others!"_

"A_nd miss out on this fantastic opportunity for emotional drama?!" The Game Master reiterated. "Dear Takami, you of all people should know the potential the green girl has. You and I would be fools to let a chance to unsheathe her true strength slip by!"_

"_Dammit Minaka, don't do this!"_

_He wasn't even listening to her at this point. "I shall look forward to this contest with a great deal of interest! I'll see to it that the battle takes place in three days time!"_

_Takami scowled at her former husband as he cackled his demented homicidal pleasure. "Damn you, Minaka."_

* * *

"When I realized my attempts at talking sense into Minaka were futile, I confronted the Black Sekirei herself."

**~o~O~o~**

_The Black Sekirei smirked as the Sahashi Matron groveled at her feet, begging for mercy._

"_Karasuba, I beg you, please don't make her suffer. End it quickly"_

"V_ery well."_

* * *

"But I wasn't specific enough in my request…and as opposed to simply terminating Ku, she murdered her in cold blood." She was getting more and more choked up. "I fucked up…Yukari, I am so sorry."

As mother and daughter stared into each other's broken spirits, one of the observing swine figures removes their mask. He steps into the light revealing himself to be John. He looks at both subjects simultaneously, taking in their raw emotion, then focuses solely on Yukari.

"_We have succeeded in our quest for truth, Yukari," _he said. _"Now your mother's ultimate fate rests in your hands…"_

John slowly paced back and forth between mother and daughter, never breaking eye contact with the latter as he went about his briefing. _"The woman before us has lived a life of deceit, lies, and treachery. In her efforts to protect you and your brother, she blinded you to the truth, and in turn caused more harm than good as a result. She took part in the enslavement of an entire race, put countless lives at risk, which inadvertently led to the demise of an innocent child at the hands of a cold-blooded psychopath…"_

"_But even in our darkest of hours…" _He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a key. _"There is a chance for redemption."_

"_The key I hold in my hand will release your mother from her shackle, and grant her a new beginning…if you deem her worthy of such a luxury. Alternatively, the three of us may simply leave and seal the door behind us, leaving her to rot."_

"_Will Takami live or die?" _He hands her the key._ "Make your choice, Yukari."_

She stared at the key for a long moment, and then heard her mother speak.

"If you let me go…I promise to help you," she coughed. "I will do everything in my power to put an end to the Sekirei Plan, and revive the terminated Sekirei. Please…let me join you…"

The Demon Ashikabi's thoughts were spinning. Was she worthy of forgiveness? Would forgiving her mother prove to be a mistake? Her mother's lies led to her damnation; she had no one to blame but herself…but what of her knowledge? Leaving her would be scrapping a valuable asset. The trauma she endured made her desire freedom for her redemption and who better to put an end to the Sekirei Plan than the one who put it together in the first place.

All Yukari could focus on was the truth, lies, redemption, and damnation.

Truth, lies, redemption damnation, truth, lies, redemption, damnation.

Truth. Lies. Redemption. Damnation. Truth. Lies. Redemption. Damnation.

Truth! Lies! Redemption! Damnation! Truth! Lies! Redemption! Damnation! Truth! Lies! Redemption! Damnation! Truth! Lies! Redemption! Damnation!

TRUTH!LIES!REDEMPTION!DAMNATION! TRUTH!LIES!REDEMPTION!DAMNATION! TRUTH!LIES!REDEMPTION!DAMNATION! TRUTH!LIES!REDEMPTION!DAMNATION! TRUTH!LIES!REDEMPTION!DAMNATION!

KFKAKDJGHDKJGNAJRHASNJGNAILNGKJRNJNDFJGAJDNFJASKJG BZXKJBKJANGJLNFJGAKJFGJLDFNJGNAJRNGJN,JGASDFJNVJFG ZHNF,JGNARGAJNBRGABJGNERLGNLSTBKLNFGKLNRGNARGNKLFN GKALGNERKLGNARNGKLAFGLJSNTJAHIJTNEILGTKLNJLNFGIKNJ RLGNSLGNALNLKJNGLRNGLSERLGTNERLGHLARNGLERGO!

**~o~O~o~**

**Yukari to Mikogami: **_"I hate your guts but I will not kill you. My brother would help you, and so will I…"_

* * *

The daughter staggered to her feet, and approached her mother. She knelt down to the shackle, but before inserting the key, she looked her in the eye. "Don't get the wrong idea about this, mother. I'm not letting you go because I can forgive you…I'm doing it because Minato wouldn't be able to forgive me if I didn't."

She inserted the key. The tumbler clicked. Her mother was free. "Thank you, Yukari. I give you my word, Minaka will be stopped."

"We'll see, mother." She motioned to exit the room. She glanced over her shoulder. "But as of now, you're dead to me. Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phen0m20: **At long last this chapter is finally done. I know the whole "tournament bracket" plot element isn't canon, but keep in mind that this fic was outlined a year ago, before the chapters delving into that issue were released. Plus I needed to somehow connect Takami to Ku's untimely death, and a technical fuck up with the tournament bracket seemed to be the most logical route to take at the time.

Anyway, Yukari always gave off this brother-complex vibe when she was around Minato, and I always wondered how she would react if someone close to her would wrong him in some horrible way; and given that she's the Demon Ashikabi, psychopathic rage is the conclusion I came to.

Here are some comments from my co-authors:

**Pyromania101: "**_I know there wasn't much action, but you people better appreciate this! R&R"_

**The Clown King Of Chaos: **_"__ As I mentioned, i didn't have much impact or input on this particular installment, but it was not that much a deal towards me since I had other things to occupy my twisted mind with. See, I, apparently unlike my two friends here, also try to focus on solo works and projects, so actually i've been killing my energy levels lately. See you next time..._  
_*Laughs evilly while sharpening knife*"_

**Phen0m20: **In conclusion, I'm happy with the way this chapter turned out. Join us next time when we rejoin Minato and Benitsu in their ongoing vendetta. Take care gaiz!


End file.
